UN CONVENTION ON DEFAMATION OF RELIGION --

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 001803 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, IO, IO/HR (A.OSTERMEIER) NSC FOR D.WALTON E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2019 TAGS: PREL KISL UN ID SUBJECT: UN CONVENTION ON DEFAMATION OF RELIGION -- ENGAGING INDONESIA REF: A. STATE 111466 ¶B. EAP/MTS JAKARTA EMAIL OCTOBER 29 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4 (b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Mission has engaged Department of Foreign Affairs interlocutors regarding the draft UN convention on religion. We underscored that the convention could entail legal obligations that would justify censorship and other limits on freedom of expression. We also encouraged Indonesia to consider the alternative Action Plan that the United States has proposed. While our interlocutors promised to continue consultations in Geneva, they noted that Indonesia traditionally joined the OIC consensus on such matters. END SUMMARY DELIVERING USG POINTS ¶2. (C) Poloff delivered Ref A demarche regarding the draft convention on religion under consideration in the UN Human Rights Council (UN HRC) to Diana Sutikno, Deputy Director for Human Rights at the Department of Foreign Affairs on October ¶29. He also shared the USG draft Action Plan contained in Ref ¶B. Poloff underscored that the draft convention would justify censorship and other restrictions on freedom of expression. PROPOSING AN ALTERNATIVE ¶3. (C) Poloff explained that the USG was concerned about matters such as discrimination and bias-inspired violence. The United States and other like-minded countries had proposed a draft Plan of Action outlining positive steps that governments could take to address those issues. He urged Indonesia to support that effort. INDONESIA UNLIKELY TO BUDGE ¶4. (C) Sutikno took our message on board. She repeated Indonesia's support of the USG's decision to reengage with the UN HRC and said GOI officials looked forward to further consultations on this matter in Geneva. However, she noted that Indonesia traditionally joined the OIC consensus on such matters. HUME