INDONESIA STILL LIKELY TO SUPPORT OIC IN UN

UNCLAS JAKARTA 001982 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, IO, IO/HR (A.OSTERMEIER/C. NEVILLE),DRL/IRF (J. MORALES/N. BADAT), NSC FOR D. WALTON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KISL UN ID SUBJECT: INDONESIA STILL LIKELY TO SUPPORT OIC IN UN DEFAMATION OF RELIGION VOTE REF: SECSTATE 122637 ¶1. (SBU) This message is sensitive but unclassified. Please handle accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Mission urged Indonesian Department of Foreign Affairs interlocutors to vote no or abstain from the December vote on the draft UN resolution on defamation of religion. Our interlocutors indicated that while Indonesia shares the U.S. concern for the freedom of expression, it has to be "responsible." They noted that Indonesia was likely to continue to join the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) consensus and vote in favor of the resolution. Nonetheless, they said that Indonesia remains open to constructive dialogue on how to improve the resolution and reduce religious intolerance. END SUMMARY. DELIVERING USG POINTS ¶3. (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel demarche regarding the draft convention on religion under consideration in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to Diana Sutikno, Deputy Director for Human Rights at the Department of Foreign Affairs on December 2 and shared the USG draft Action Plan and non-paper with Ms. Sutikno and her colleague Dicky Komar, Deputy Director of Civil and Political Rights. Poloff underscored that the draft convention would justify censorship and other restrictions on freedom of expression and asked that Indonesia vote no or abstain from the vote on defamation of religion. PROPOSING AN ALTERNATIVE ¶4. (SBU) Poloff explained that the USG understood and shared Indonesia's concerns about 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. She urged Indonesia to support that effort. INDONESIA STILL LIKELY TO VOTE WITH OIC ¶5. (SBU) Sutikno took our message on board. She expressed Indonesia's support of the USG's decision to re-engage with the UNHRC. She also noted that the door was not closed for improving the OIC-sponsored resolution. However, she clarified that while freedom of expression was important, it must be used responsibly and not incite the public to violence. Although she is looking forward to more constructive dialogue on how to bridge the gap between OIC and US positions, she stated frankly that Indonesia would probably again vote with the OIC on the resolution. HUME