BURMA -- INDONESIAN ACTIVISTS KEEP UP PRESSURE FOR

1. (C) SUMMARY: Indonesian activists marked Aung San Suu
Kyi's June 19 birthday by demanding her immediate release
from detention and calling on ASEAN states to take a tougher
line toward the Burmese regime. At a Mission-organized
event, a leading MP--while noting that Indonesia's record is
relatively constructive--told us that he was pressing the GOI
on the need for ramped up pressure on the regime. Civil
society groups continue to lobby: a coalition of
Burma-focused groups organized a demonstration outside of the
ASEAN Secretariat on June 19 to call for ASSK's release and
for democratic reform in Burma. END SUMMARY.

ENGAGING INDONESIANS ON ASSK'S BIRTHDAY



2. (C) To mark Aung San Suu Kyi's (ASSK) 64th birthday,
Mission sponsored an event for key Indonesian activists
interested in Burma issues on June 19. Dep/Pol/C underscored
to all participants the USG's concern regarding ASSK's
continued detention and called for her immediate release. We
noted that Indonesia, as leading democracy in ASEAN, had a
special role to play on this matter.

KEY MP SPEAKS OUT



3. (C) Djoko Susilo, a senior MP and key member of
Parliament's Myanmar Caucus, told us he would continue to
press for ASSK's release. While noting that the GOI's record
was relatively positive, he had urged Foreign Minister
Wirajuda and other senior GOI officials to continue to
pressure the Burmese regime. He observed that many of the
newly elected members of Parliament were probably not
familiar with Burma and he underscored the need to educate
them. (Note: Indonesia held national legislative elections
in April; the new Parliament will be seated in October.)



4. (C) Susilo also praised the USG's role in helping raise
the profile of Burma in Indonesia. He thanked the USG for
its financial support of a series of programs he organized at
universities in the past year meant to stimulate further
attention re Burma (see reftels). Susilo also noted that he
needed additional support from the USG and other members of
the international community to sponsor more programs. He
noted that Indonesian civil society groups were critical to
pressing this issue, and programming was important as an
outreach and organizational tool.

CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS ORGANIZE AT ASEAN SECRETARIAT



5. (C) Human rights NGOs and other civil society
organizations remain engaged on the issue. Usman Hamid, a
leader of the human rights NGO Kontras, told poloff that
ASEAN had a key role. Indonesian activists had urged the GOI
to press for inclusion of language on human rights and
democracy in the ASEAN Charter. Now that they had succeeded
in that effort these same activists were working to ensure
that the ASEAN Human Rights Body had real monitoring and
enforcement mechanisms. If ASEAN failed to take a stand on
Burma, the Charter would have little credibility,



6. (U) In the meantime, a coalition of Burma-focused groups
also organized a demonstration at the ASEAN Secretariat on
June 19 to call for ASSK's release and for democratic reforms
in Burma. Several dozen activists turned out.

HUME