GOI STILL REVIEWING ASIA-PACIFIC DEMOCRACY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000783

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL/MLA,
S/P, DRL; G (KCURRIE),
NSC FOR EPHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2018
TAGS: PREL KDEM ID AS CA KS
SUBJECT: GOI STILL REVIEWING ASIA-PACIFIC DEMOCRACY
INITIATIVE

REF: JAKARTA 588 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b+d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Indonesia is not yet ready to commit to the
Asia-Pacific Democracy Partnership (APDP) initiative, but is
not entirely ruling out the possibility. Indonesia is
focused for now more on its own Bali Democracy Forum (BDF)
initiative. The BDF idea remains embryonic, but important to
the GOI, which wants to show it is a leader in democracy in
Asia. The GOI has also invited Australia to participate in
the BDF. We think the USG should try to work with the GOI in
order to develop the BDF idea further, while we continue to
press for Indonesian participation in the APDP initiative.
END SUMMARY.

GOI: NOT YET ON BOARD


2. (C) Mission continues to touch base with the GOI
regarding democracy initiatives. DepPol/C met on April 17
with Umar Hadi, Director for Public Diplomacy at the
Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU) and a close adviser to
the Foreign Minister, to get further feedback on Indonesia's
views of APDP (see reftels). Following the March 24 meeting
with Hadi (reftel),Hadi had discussed the matter further in
DEPLU. Hadi told us that based on feedback, Indonesia was
not yet prepared to commit to participating in APDP because
the GOI believes it is important for Indonesia to take the
lead on regional democracy initiatives. He repeated concerns
that such initiatives be led from within the region.
DepPol/C reiterated our strong support for Indonesia's key
role in promoting democracy in the region and our hope that
it can be a bridge between APDP and BDF.


3. (SBU) Hadi explained that the BDF is one of four key
international events Indonesia is planning this year for the
hundred-year anniversary of the launch of the Indonesian
nationalist movement in 1908. The events include:

-- the BDF;

-- the Global Inter-media Dialogue;

-- the Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue; and,

-- the World Cultural Forum.

All of these inititives are designed to demonstrate
Indonesia's world and regional leadership, Hadi said.

MORE ON BDF


4. (C) The BDF idea remains a bit vague. As Hadi has said
in the past, BDF would aim to promote democracy in Asia.
Participation could include democratic and non-democratic
regimes in the region, including Burma. The GOI plans to
invite Australia to participate (the GOA might fund the
initiative--see below),but it was not yet clear whether the
USG would get an invitation. Hadi told us the GOI is now
considering holding a preliminary BDF meeting at the
technical level soon, inviting about 25 scholars worldwide to
discuss the concept. This discussion might include how BDF
meshes with APDP and other elements of the international
architecture on democracy, he said.

AUSTRALIANS, CANADIANS AND KOREANS CHIME IN


5. (C) We have spoken to other Embassies about the various
initiatives. Australian Pol/C Justin Lee confirmed to us on
April 15 that the GOA had agreed to help fund the first BDF
meeting, provided that it likes the Indonesian concept paper,
which is still being developed. Lee said, for example,
that--in Australia's estimation--the Burmese government could
be invited to participate in BDF provided that BDF is billed
as a "meeting about democracy and not a meeting among

JAKARTA 00000783 002 OF 002


democracies."


6. (C) Lee also told us that in his recent meeting with Hadi
he encouraged the GOI to participate in APDP and also to
involve the U.S. in the BDF. Separately, the Canadian and
South Korean political counselors met with us on April 11 to
discuss a joint strategy on APDP. Canada's Weldon Epp told
us that he recently met with Hadi to lobby the GOI to
participate in APDP, but Hadi said DEPLU remained reluctant.
South Korean Pol/C Moon-hwan Kim said he has not discussed
APDP with the GOI since last October. He said he would
consider approaching the GOI again to encourage them to join
APDP but is consulting with Seoul on this.

NEXT STEPS


7. (C) The BDF idea clearly remains embryonic, but very
important to the GOI. Indonesia is getting more active in
the region and internationally, and wants to show it is a
leader in democracy in Asia. We think the USG should try to
work with the GOI in order to develop the BDF idea further.
While we have not been invited to participate in BDF as of
yet, we think that the Indonesians probably eventually would
welcome our involvement. In the meantime, we could
potentially leverage any engagement with the BDF idea to
advance Indonesian participation in the APDP initiative.
HUME