BURMA -- ENGAGING INDONESIA IN ADVANCE OF THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 001779 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP NSC FOR D.WALTON E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2019 TAGS: PREL KDEM ASEAN ID BM SUBJECT: BURMA -- ENGAGING INDONESIA IN ADVANCE OF THE ASEAN SUMMIT REF: A. STATE 108210 ¶B. JAKARTA 1628 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Dep/Pol/C Darcy Zotter, reasons 1.4 (b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: We encouraged Indonesia to press the Burmese authorities to launch a credible dialogue with the democratic opposition and ethnic minority groups, per Ref A instructions. GOI interlocutors reiterated their praise for the United States' new policy on Burma and agreed that the Burmese government should reciprocate with some positive actions. However, they stopped short of promising any specific Indonesian actions at the upcoming ASEAN Summit. Mission will continue to engage key Indonesians on Burma and plans a Burma outreach event on October 28. END SUMMARY. UNDERSCORING U.S. CONCERNS ¶2. (SBU) Using Ref A points poloff engaged officials at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU) regarding the need for progress on reform in Burma. He outlined the United States' long-term commitment to engaging the Burmese authorities. He explained that this approach created a window of opportunity for the Burmese regime to make meaningful progress on reform. A critical step would be for the GOB to begin a genuine dialogue with the democratic opposition and with leaders of ethnic minority groups. Poloff urged Indonesia to raise the matter at the October 23-25 ASEAN Summit. INDONESIA BROADLY SYMPATHETIC ¶3. (C) Indonesian officials praised our approach to Burma but stopped short of promising any specific action. George Lantu, Deputy Director for Legal and Human Rights at the Department of Foreign Affairs' (DEPLU) Directorate of ASEAN Political and Security Cooperation, told poloff on October 22 that Indonesia supported the United States' new approach. He agreed that Burma should reciprocate with some positive steps toward reform. He explained that Indonesian officials had made no decisions about what they might say about the matter during the upcoming ASEAN Summit. Senior GOI officials, including new FM Natelegawa, who took office on October 23, were still discussing the matter. (Note: Mission will report more fully on Natelegawa septel.) CONTINUING TO RAISE BURMA ¶4. (SBU) Mission continues to engage Indonesian stakeholders on Burma. So far, we have sponsored a range of conferences, roundtable discussions, meetings and other events with key Indonesian officials, foreign policy experts and Burma activists. As part of that effort, we plan to host a discussion of the United States new Burma policy on October ¶28. HUME