COMPREHENSIVE PARTNERSHIP--FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 001669

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP
NSC FOR J. BADER, D. WALTON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/01/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON ID
SUBJECT: COMPREHENSIVE PARTNERSHIP--FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING
MOMENTUM

REF: JAKARTA 1640

Classified By: POL/C Joesph L. Novak, reasons 1.4 (b+d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The GOI and U.S. must maintain momentum on
the Comprehensive Partnership and conclude the Peace Corps
agreement soon, Department of Foreign Affairs Director for
North and Central America Bunyan Saptomo told visiting
EAP/MTS Director Joseph Yun on September 28. In a separate
meeting, Deputy for Foreign Policy Affairs at the
Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security
Affairs Albert Matondang explained to Yun that the inability
of the U.S. to train Indonesian special forces remains an
impediment to a strong security relationship under the
Comprehensive Partnership. END SUMMARY.

VISIT BY EAP/MTS DIRECTOR JOSEPH YUN


2. (SBU) EAP/MTS Director Joseph Yun visited Indonesia from
September 27-30 and met with GOI officials, members of civil
society, and representatives from the business community.
Yun outlined his role as the Director of the office
responsible for Indonesia at the State Department and
solicited feedback on the progress of our bilateral
relationship. He emphasized that the United States would
like to upgrade the U.S.-Indonesia relationship and would
look for ways to advance our bilateral agenda.

MEETING WITH DEPLU ON PLAN OF ACTION


3. (C) In their September 28 meeting, Department of Foreign
Affairs Director for North and Central America Bunyan Saptomo
and Director Yun discussed the status of the Comprehensive
Partnership. Bunyan stated that the GOI had received the
revised draft Plan of Action from the Department and had
organized an inter-departmental meeting to review the changes
in the text. He believed that the two governments held many
common views and was awaiting responses from the relevant
departments in the GOI. Bunyan did not indicate how long
this process would take.


4. (C) Bunyan reviewed the following key elements of the
Comprehensive Partnership, stressing the importance of
maintaining momentum in key areas:

-- Peace Corps MOU: An agreement was very close, Bunyan
said. A no-fee visa was still a pending issue. The Peace
Corps had requested a no-fee visa for all Peace Corps
volunteers, which was not possible given the GOI's
regulations on tourist passports and visas. One solution was
for the GOI to share a portion of the cost of the Peace Corps
under the agreement; Bunyan suggested that the Ministry of
Education pay for the fee, either directly or through in-kind
services. Bunyan hoped to conclude the negotiations soon as
the Peace Corps would provide valuable people-to-people ties.
He emphasized that madrassas were especially eager for the
volunteers and he hoped that the program would reach 100
volunteers, similar to the numbers in Thailand.

-- Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC): Bunyan
thought that it would take some time for the GOI to
understand all the elements in the OPIC agreement. Among main
impediments to the OPIC agreement for Indonesia were the
issue of political risk insurance and the need for the GOI to
approve all foreign investments.

-- Bali Democracy Forum: Bunyan highlighted that Indonesia
would launch the second Bali Democracy Forum meeting in
October. Director Yun said the U.S. regarded Indonesia as a
key regional partner and was eager to work with the GOI on
promoting democracy in the region.

-- Building People-to-People ties: People-to-people ties
remained a critical element of the Comprehensive Partnership,
according to Bunyan. He emphasized the importance of the
interfaith dialogue for building religious tolerance and
understanding. Bunyan applauded the new American Indonesian
Exchange Foundation education agreement, signed by the
Minister of Education and funded through Fulbright. He also
mentioned that the GOI would like to promote increased
tourism cooperation in order to further develop our
people-to-people ties.

MOVING FORWARD WITH KOPASSUS


5. (C) The GOI would like the U.S. to resume training the
Indonesian Army Special Forces, KOPASSUS, Albert Matondang,

Deputy for Foreign Policy Affairs at the Coordinating
Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, told
Director Yun in a separate meeting on September 28.
Matondang said that he had explained how the Indonesian
military had reformed and promoted human rights
accountability to the Embassy and to Senator Nelson, during
the Senator's August trip to Indonesia. Indonesia had
changed. The GOI had investigated human rights abuses by the
military and the perpetrators had been jailed. He added that
since 1999 the military had not held seats in the Parliament
and would not even vote until 2014. The military was
completely under civilian control; the next minister of
defense would also be a civilian.


6. (C) U.S.-Indonesian mil-mil relations must be
normalized, Matondang said. This normalization must include
KOPASSUS officers, who were the elite of the Indonesian
military. The resumption of U.S. training for KOPASSUS would
signal the recognition by the U.S. of the important
transformation that had taken place in Indonesia.


7. (U) EAP/MTS Director Joseph Yun approved this message.

OSIUS