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