DVC DIALOGUE PLACES SPOTLIGHT ON INDONESIAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001126

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, G/TIP, EAP/RSP, DRL/IL AND EAP/PD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV ELAB SMIG ID
SUBJECT: DVC DIALOGUE PLACES SPOTLIGHT ON INDONESIAN
TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS HERO

REF: JAKARTA 759 AND PREVIOUS


1. (U) This message is Sensitive but Unclassified -- Please
handle accordingly.


2. (U) SUMMARY: G/TIP Director Ambassador Luis CdeBaca held
a June 29 DVC dialogue with key GOI officials and NGO leaders
regarding the 2009 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report on
Indonesia. Ambassador Hume opened the program by presenting
the 2009 TIP Hero Award to an Indonesian migrant worker who
had escaped trafficking in the Middle East and then helped
others to escape. An audience of over 50 officials, NGO
leaders and media attended the dialogue. National print, TV
and radio journalists reported extensively on the event. END
SUMMARY.

PRESENTING TIP AWARD


3. (U) On June 29, Ambassador Hume presented Indonesian
migrant worker Elly Anita with the 2009 TIP Hero Award during
a 90-minute DVC with Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, Director of the
Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP).
Ambassador Hume told the audience, "Elly Anita is a migrant
worker who escaped trafficking in the Middle East through her
own ingenuity and willpower, and has since helped to rescue
other migrant workers. This is the fifth year in a row that
an Indonesian has received this prestigious award."


4. (U) During the dialogue, Ambassador CdeBaca praised
Indonesian progress in fighting trafficking, particularly in
law enforcement. He also commended the recent GOI decision
to suspend sending Indonesian domestic workers to Malaysia
until the current MoU with Malaysia is renegotiated to
protect their basic rights. Ambassador CdeBaca also raised
several areas where Indonesia could improve, including by:

--Enforcing criminal penalties against manpower brokers which
traffic workers, and eliminating recruitment fees which put
workers into debt bondage.
--Protecting migrant workers overseas (particularly the right
to retain their travel documents in Malaysia).
--Stopping domestic trafficking of women for sexual
exploitation.
--Providing an adequate budget to deal with trafficking in
the new National Plan of Action.

INDONESIAN PANEL COMMENTS


5. (U) The Indonesian panelists included: I Gusti Made
Arka, Director General for Manpower Supervision, Ministry of
Manpower; Andhika Chrisnayudhanto, Deputy Director for
Countering Transnational Crimes at the Foreign Affairs
Department; Fachry Sulaiman, Deputy Director for Protection
of Overseas Citizens at Foreign Affairs; and, Wahyu Susilo of
Migrant Care (2007 TIP Hero).


6. (SBU) Made Arka, who in conversations with Labatt a year
ago did not take seriously the need to renegotiate the MoU
with Malaysia, has now changed his views. He responded to
Ambassador CdeBaca that the GOI is seeking to change the
terms of the MoU to protect workers rights. This includes a
proposal that would allow migrant labor to hold their own
passports and to have a day off each week. The GOI also is
proposing a joint Indonesian-Malaysian committee to regulate
and monitor employees of Indonesian migrant workers, domestic
servants in particular. The suspension in sending migrant
workers is intended to be in place until these issues are
resolved.


7. (U) The Manpower Ministry also is reviewing cost
structures to reduce the fees charged to migrant workers,
Made Arka said. The GOI plans to negotiate MoUs with all
receiving countries to better protect workers' rights, citing
accords with Jordan, Hong Kong and Taiwan as positive models.
If Indonesia needs to choose between "remittances" and
"dignity" for workers, Made Arka said he would prefer the
latter.


8. (U) Wahyu Susilo said that despite a strong 2007
anti-trafficking law, implementation needs to be stronger.
He praised the TIP report for putting pressure on other
countries to improve their treatment of Indonesian workers.


9. (U) An NGO activist in the audience complained about poor
protection of returning migrant workers at Jakarta

JAKARTA 00001126 002 OF 002


International Airport. Made Arke acknowledged that although
the migrant worker terminal was designed to protect workers,
that in reality they are exploited there. Wahyu Susilo
suggested that workers have the freedom to use the special
terminal set up for them or to go through regular immigration
like other passengers.


10. (U) Other aspects of the discussion focused on technical
issues of the TIP report which Ambassador CdeBaca explained.
Overall, the DVC was notable for the openness of the
discussion and the willingness of GOI officials to respond
honestly on difficult issues. Prior to this DVC, the
Ministry of Manpower has seldom if ever openly admitted the
shortcoming of the migrant worker protection system.
Clearly, this ministry came prepared to respond to criticisms
noted in the report. The Foreign Ministry officials on the
panel told Labatt that the Indonesian TIP report is a fair,
accurate and in-depth assessment of the trafficking
situation. NGO activists told us the dialogue was
outstanding, regretting only that there was not more time.

EXTENSIVE NATIONAL COVERAGE


11. (U) National newspapers, TV and radio reported
extensively on the presentation of the TIP Hero award to Elly
Anita by Ambassador Hume. They also interviewed Ms. Anita.
The dialogue itself was also reported in some detail.
Coverage reached tens of millions of Indonesians.
HUME