A/S HILL DISCUSSES REGIONAL AND BILATERAL ISSUES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 000763 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/CM NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV ID XB XF SUBJECT: A/S HILL DISCUSSES REGIONAL AND BILATERAL ISSUES WITH INDONESIAN OFFICIALS REF: A. JAKARTA 505 ¶B. JAKARTA 373 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Ambassador Cameron R. Hume for reasons 1.4 (b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On April 4 in Jakarta, EAP A/S Christopher ¶R. Hill assured key Indonesian officials of the USG's commitment to Southeast Asia. He also explored ways to press for reform in Burma, progress regarding Iran's nuclear program and Middle East peace. On the bilateral front, he discussed mil-mil ties and Congressional concerns regarding the situation in the restive Papua region. END SUMMARY ¶2. (C) In meetings on April 4 with Foreign Minister Wirajuda and Defense Minister Sudarsono, A/S Hill discussed the status of the Six Party Talks and addressed a range of regional and bilateral issues. In a separate meeting, he also met representatives of a number of Indonesian human rights organizations. Mission will report A/S Hill's meeting with President Yudhoyono septel. ASEAN--U.S. COMMITTED TO SOUTHEAST ASIA ¶3. (C) A/S Hill told FM Wirajuda that the United States was committed to Southeast Asia and our relationship with ASEAN. He said that Secretary Rice looked forward to participating in the upcoming ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference. ¶4. (C) The Assistant Secretary told FM Wirajuda that Burma was harming U.S. ties with ASEAN and asked about Indonesian ideas to press for democratic reform there. FM Wirajuda said that although ASEAN members were committed to engaging Burma, they were increasingly frustrated with the regime's recalcitrance. He reiterated ASEAN's position that while the organization welcomed the regime's proposed constitutional referendum and elections, ASEAN believed the process must meet international standards of credibility, which they did not now. ASEAN would work with UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari to try to achieve this objective. ¶5. (C) FM Wirajuda explained that Indonesia was considering hosting an informal meeting of neighboring countries to discuss the way forward in Burma. The GOI had already approached China and India and both were interested in participating. The GOI had also sought Japanese and Thai participation, although Burma had objected to this. Indonesia continued to explore the idea. 
¶6. (C) A/S Hill said the decision to exclude Aung San Suu Kyi from the proposed elections indicated that the regime was not serious about a credible process. FM Wirajuda responded that ASEAN foreign ministers had pressed their Burmese counterpart on this point at a recent meeting. The Burmese FM resisted, however, and insisted this was an internal matter for Burma to resolve without external interference. ¶7. (C) FM Wirajuda noted that Burmese ruler Than Shwe had finally responded to President Yudhoyono's letter (ref B). The response was not satisfactory. The general's response did not acknowledge Gambari's mission nor did it address Yudhoyono's call for a credible referendum and election process. Instead, Than Shwe had devoted the bulk of the letter to defending the regime's "roadmap" to democracy. ¶8. (C) A/S Hill urged Indonesia to support a Presidential Statement (PRST) on Burma in the UNSC. The PRST would be an important demonstration of the UNSC's support of Gambari's mission in the face of the regime's frequent rebuffs. The UNSC must issue a clear statement calling on the regime to cooperate fully with Gambari, especially by allowing him unfettered access to the country. FM Wirajuda responded that Indonesia supported Gambari's mission and looked forward to working toward a consensus on the PRST. ¶9. (C) In the discussion with Defense Minister Sudarsono, JAKARTA 00000763 002 OF 003 A/S Hill said the Secretary planned to attend the upcoming meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Singapore. The Secretary wanted to reach a common understanding of what tools to use to press Burma toward reform. It was important that Indonesia be seen as working with the United Nations, to reinforce to the Burmese regime the international community's unity on the way forward. The Burmese regime had treated UN Special Representative Gambari poorly, and such behavior should not be rewarded, Hill underscored. CHINA AND THE OLYMPICS ¶10. (C) Noting the recent protests in Tibet, FM Wirajuda said his Chinese counterpart had written him to urge Indonesian support for the Olympics. He asked A/S Hill for USG views on the subject. A/S Hill responded that the USG had urged China to enter a substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama and to provide greater access to Tibet for diplomats and journalists. He added that President Bush had been clear that he would honor his pledge to attend the Olympic opening ceremonies. IRAN--INDONESIA PRESSING RE NUCLEAR PROGRAM ¶11. (C) FM Wirajuda briefed A/S Hill on President Yudhoyono's March 10-12 trip to Iran (ref A). He noted that SBY had pressed President Ahmadinejad to cooperate with the IAEA to resolve international concerns about Iran's nuclear activities. The Indonesians had also pressed the Iranian leader to tone down his inflammatory rhetoric. Wirajuda admitted, however, that the Iranians had sent mixed signals re the nuclear program during Yudhoyono's visit. President Ahmadinejad had struck a defiant tone regarding Iran's right to a nuclear program. However, FM Motaki was more open to addressing international concerns, according to Wirajuda. MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS ¶12. (C) FM Wirajuda discussed Indonesia's efforts to support the Annapolis peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. He explained that Indonesia was working with South Africa to organize an international capacity building conference for the Palestinian Authority. President Yudhoyono remains personally committed to this effort, and met Palestinian President Abbas on the margins of the recent OIC summit in Dakar. A/S Hill responded that President Bush and Secretary Rice remained committed to moving the peace process forward. He added that Indonesia, as a leading democracy in the Muslim world, had a key role to play supporting the peace process. The proposed capacity-building conference was an important step in that direction. PAPUA--CONGRESSIONAL CONCERNS ¶13. (C) A/S Hill noted that Indonesian Ambassador Sudjadnan had raised with him recent Congressional letters concerning the situation in Papua. FM Wirajuda said he had discussed the matter with President Yudhoyono, who was committed to working with Papuan leaders to implement Special Autonomy. The president would soon send former FM Alwi Shihab to Washington to meet key Congressional leaders to explain the progress that Indonesia had made in implementing Special Autonomy and in promoting economic development in Papua. A/S Hill assured the FM that the USG did not support calls for UN involvement in Papua and West Papua. The USG fully supported Indonesia's territorial integrity. MIL-MIL TIES AND THE REGION ¶14. (C) A/S Hill told MinDef Sudarsono that the Secretary of Defense had had a good visit and had been impressed with Indonesia's progress on democracy and reform. SecDef and senior State officials were engaged with Congress to make clear Indonesia's progress and the importance of further JAKARTA 00000763 003 OF 003 mil-mil engagement. PM Acting A/S Mull, who had served in Indonesia and visited several times recently, was also very positive on Indonesia. A/S Hill noted he was scheduled to testify to the House Foreign Affairs Committee after returning to Washington. Sudarsono noted that Congress had attached some conditions to FMF assistance for Indonesia. ¶15. (C) A/S Hill said Washington was very pleased that Thailand had moved beyond military government and noted that Thailand would be the next chair of ASEAN. Vietnam was also doing well particularly on the economic side, but still had no tolerance for dissent and would need to show progress on the political side of the ledger at some point. The United States had some incipient military engagement with Vietnam, and Vietnam was considering participation in peacekeeping, an area where Indonesia was active. INDONESIA'S PROGRESS ON HUMAN RIGHTS ¶16. (C) During a meeting with a small group of civil society leaders, a highly-regarded editor leader told A/S Hill that training of Indonesian military is useful as long as it includes a human rights component. Yuli Ismartono, editor of Tempo Magazine English edition, added that there are good generals in the military but more are needed. Ismartono cautioned that human rights activists remain concerned over how the government regards security in outlying hotspots such as the Moluccas and Papua. Rafendi Djamin, a leading human rights lawyer, said that his biggest concern is that the upcoming Indonesia Timor-Leste Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF) report will fail to offer concrete answers on accountability for gross human rights violations, instead making the UN a scapegoat for all abuses. ¶17. (C) A/S Hill responded that U.S. engagement with the military continues to be a major issue in the U.S. and is controversial because of impunity for past human rights violations. Americans are paying attention to these issues. He asked the five civil society leaders what the U.S. needs to do further in this area. The activists responded that the USG should continue to press the GOI on human rights, as well as engage Parliament on the issue. HUME