BURMA DEMOCRACY GROUP SHUTDOWN OUT OF CHARACTER AS

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 001342 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP NSC FOR J.BADER E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM ID BM SUBJECT: BURMA DEMOCRACY GROUP SHUTDOWN OUT OF CHARACTER AS INDONESIA SHOWS SUPPORT FOR REFORM, ASSK REF: JAKARTA 1335 Classified By: Acting Pol/C Dan Rochman, reasons 1.4(b+d) POLICE SUSPEND BURMESE DEMOCRATIZATION GATHERING ¶1. (C) Indonesian police temporarily stopped a coalition of Burma pro-democracy organizations from holding a conference at a Jakarta hotel August 12, reportedly following a complaint from Burma to the Indonesian Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU). National police ordered the conference closed stating that the organizers failed to obtain a proper permit. Jim Della-Giacoma, South East Asia Project Director for the International Crisis Group, who was at the conference, told Poloff the police stated they were acting on orders from DEPLU, but did not attempt to forcibly close the venue. Not to be deterred, Marzuki Darusman, senior Member of the Indonesian Parliament and key member of the ASEAN Inter-Parlimentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC),opted to move the conference to the Indonesian National Parliament (DPR) building, where it was held later in the day. The conference continued on August 13 at the office of the National Commission on Human Rights. PRESIDENT REITERATES SUPPORT FOR ASSK ¶2. (SBU) The steps against the conference appeared particularly out of character on a day on which the GOI and DEPLU went to some lengths to make clear their support for ASSK and the democratization of Burma (reftel). In sharp contrast to the police action, President Yudhoyono made a clear statement calling for ASEAN members to condemn the military junta's conviction and 18-month sentence for ASSK. Yudhoyono reiterated Indonesia's support for her and the pro-democracy movement in Burma, calling on ASEAN governments to pressure Burma. "As part of Myanmar's promise of a roadmap to democracy, I say Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy (NLD) should be part of the general election process next year. ASEAN as an organization should take the appropriate steps in pressing Myanmar to take the wishes of the world and ASEAN into consideration," he stated. ¶3. (C) Despite credible reports that DEPLU--which has no role in domestic law enforcement--ordered the temporary shutdown, DEPLU's role remains unclear. George Lantu, DEPLU's ASEAN Political and Security Cooperation Deputy Director for Legal and Human Rights, told Poloff his office was not involved in ordering the police action. Lantu further opined that it was strange for the GOI to follow through with such a request from the Burmese because of the pro-democracy environment in Indonesia, including at the top levels of government. Indonesian Parliamentarian and AIPMC committee member, Eva Sundari, stated publicly the DPR would look into the police actions and raise their concerns with the proper GOI officials. HUME