GOLDSTONE REPORT -- INDONESIA LIKELY TO JOIN OIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 001831 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, IO, IO/HR (P.KRUCHOWSKI),IO/UNP (A.MORRISON),NEA/IPA (J.GIAUQUE) NSC FOR D.WALTON USUN FOR E.GERMAIN E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/04/2019 TAGS: PREL KPAL ID IS SUBJECT: GOLDSTONE REPORT -- INDONESIA LIKELY TO JOIN OIC CONSENSUS REF: A. STATE 112828 ¶B. JAKARTA 1737 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4 (b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Mission delivered points on possible UN General Assembly (UNGA) discussion of the Goldstone Report regarding Israeli military action in Gaza to GOI officials. We urged Indonesia to oppose any resolution endorsing the report. GOI contacts did not commit to a specific vote on any resolution and did note some concerns about the report. However, they noted that Indonesia usually supported the OIC consensus on such matters. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Poloff delivered Ref A points regarding the Goldstone Report on Israeli military action in Gaza to Diana Sutikno, Deputy Director for Human Rights at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU),on November 3. He underscored that a UNGA resolution endorsing the report would not be helpful to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The report contained sweeping and unsubstantiated generalizations. It undermined ongoing allegations into alleged human rights violations during the conflict--including ongoing Israeli investigations. It set a troubling precedent by calling for international action while domestic investigations were still ongoing. The United States urged Indonesia to oppose an UNGA resolution on the report. ¶3. (C) Sutikno took our points on board and noted that the United States and Indonesia have already had useful discussions on the report at the UN Human Rights Council (UN HRC) in Geneva. She said that Indonesia did have some concerns about elements of the report--particularly its call for universal jurisdiction over alleged Israeli action. Sutikno agreed that this could set a precedent that could be applied to other countries. Sutikno did not say how Indonesia would vote on the resolution. However, she noted that Indonesia normally jointed the OIC consensus on such matters and that it supported the UN HRC resolution on the Goldstone report. HUME