VP ADVISOR ON U.S. VISIT, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP,

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000152 DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, PRM; NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF OVIP ID SUBJECT: VP ADVISOR ON U.S. VISIT, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP, ROHINGYAS REF: JAKARTA 137 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) Vice President Jusuf Kalla looks forward to his upcoming visit to Washington, Senior Advisor Gembong Prijono told Pol/C on January 28. Kalla will attend the National Prayer Breakfast and hold events with the Indonesian community during the February 4-5 trip. He also hopes to meet Vice President Biden and Congressman Eni Faleomavaega (D, Samoa). Indonesians are excited about President Obama and want stronger ties with the United States. Kalla hoped to deliver that message directly and early to the new Administration. ¶2. (C) Prijono said Kalla fully supported the U.S.-Indonesia Strategic Partnership that President Yudhoyono proposed in his Washington speech last year. Pol/C outlined our vision for the partnership. He noted that we had identified five areas of shared interest: governance and democracy; regional stability; education; environment and energy; and, economics, trade and food security. He said Mission planned to begin exploring these ideas with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU) soon. Prijono said the VP's Office would help move the process forward. ¶3. (C) Pol/C urged the Indonesian government to protect the 193 Burmese and Bangladeshi boat people that the Indonesian Navy rescued off the coast of north Sumatra earlier this month. (Note: The group is currently housed at an Indonesian naval base where they are being cared for. See reftel.) Most of the boat people are Rohingyas, a vulnerable population likely to be persecuted if repatriated to Burma. Noting Indonesia's positive efforts so far, Pol/C urged that Indonesia allow the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to screen the boat people. Prijono responded that Indonesia would treat them humanely. Indonesian officials have made no final decision regarding their status and had no plans to repatriate them. HUME