Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09JAKARTA2023
2009-12-09 10:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:  

ACEH -- FORMER FINNISH PRESIDENT UNDERSCORES NEED

Tags:  PREL PGOV PNAT ECON ID 
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VZCZCXRO1256
OO RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHJA #2023/01 3431014
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 091014Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4096
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PRIORITY 0965
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002023 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR D, P, G, E, EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP
NSC FOR J. BADER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/09/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PNAT ECON ID
SUBJECT: ACEH -- FORMER FINNISH PRESIDENT UNDERSCORES NEED
TO KEEP REGION ON RADAR SCREEN

Classified By: DCM Ted Osius, reasons 1.4 (b+d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002023

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR D, P, G, E, EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP
NSC FOR J. BADER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/09/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PNAT ECON ID
SUBJECT: ACEH -- FORMER FINNISH PRESIDENT UNDERSCORES NEED
TO KEEP REGION ON RADAR SCREEN

Classified By: DCM Ted Osius, reasons 1.4 (b+d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Ambassador met with Martti Ahtisaari,
the former Finnish President, on December 9. Ahtisaari--who
helped facilitate the 2005 peace accord--commented that the
situation in Aceh seemed to be calm and it was positive that
the recent elections had gone smoothly. Aceh could not be
allowed to slip back, however, and momentum had to be
maintained, points he would emphasize in meetings with the
GOI and with Aceh authorities. He thanked the USG for
remaining firmly engaged re the situation. Ahtisaari added
that he planned to visit Washington probably in March next
year. END SUMMARY.

SITUATION IS BASICALLY POSITIVE


2. (C) The Ambassador met with Martti Ahtisaari of the
Crisis Management Initiative (CMI),an international NGO
devoted to conflict resolution on December 9. The Nobel
Peace Prize Winner and former President of Finland was in
Jakarta to continue his CMI-sponsored mission to Indonesia
focused on the peace process in Aceh Province.


3. (C) Ahtisaari--who will travel to Aceh on December
10--noted that Indonesia's legislative and presidential
elections earlier this year had proceeded quite smoothly in
Aceh with only minor problems. He thanked the USG for its
assistance in working with the GOI and actors in Aceh to help
ensure such a smooth process, which helped further solidify
the peace in Aceh. (Note: With Ahtisaari playing a key role
as a facilitator, the GOI and ex-militants affiliated with
the Free Aceh Movement--known by the acronym "GAM"--signed a
Memorandum of Understanding in August 2005 which effectively
ended the decades-long conflict in the western Indonesian
region.)

VITAL NEED TO MAINTAIN FOCUS


4. (C) Ahtisaari added that there were vital reasons to
maintain the focus on Aceh. While the GOI and the
ex-militants seemed to be getting along in relatively
positive fashion on the political side right now, there
appeared to be a lack of a vision of the area's post-MOU
future and how to get there. This was having a negative
impact on people's confidence and on the economic situation
in the area which was in need of improvement. Aceh Governor
Irwandi Yusuf meant well, but he was not a fully effective
manager, including regarding development assistance. Irwandi
at times, Ahtisaari remarked, did not fully appreciate the
need to assist everyone in the region in addition to his
allies from Partai Aceh (a political party which is linked to
the former GAM).

ACEH NEEDS A POST-MOU VISION


5. (C) The Ambassador agreed with Ahtisaari on the need to
keep Aceh very much on the radar screen. Just because an MOU
had been concluded and the 2009 elections had proceeded
smoothly did not mean that all would remain positive.
Irwandi, in particular, needed to up his game and do better
in enunciating a mid- to long-term vision for the region. So
far, Irwandi had not done this and many in the province were
left wondering what was next for them. Instead of focusing
on the future, in fact, Aceh had sent out an unfortunate
signal when its local legislature had passed a law mandating
various Sharia-inspired rules with stoning as a potential
punishment. To be fair, Irwandi had suffered a stroke some
time back and was only now re-focusing on the tasks at hand.


6. (C) The Ambassador noted that the GOI also had to
focus--there were many pressing issues facing Indonesia, but
it could not allow Aceh to slip back. All of this pointed to
the urgent need for the GOI and the Aceh authorities to get
on the same sheet of music and make a plan for next steps a
high priority. Ahtisaari agreed, saying that he would make
such points in his meetings with the GOI and in Aceh. The
Ambassador said the USG would continue to work with other
donor countries on next steps.

PLANS FOR U.S. VISIT


7. (C) Ahtisaari related that he planned to be in the U.S.
around the March timeframe. He looked forward to discussions
with U.S. officials while in Washington.


JAKARTA 00002023 002 OF 002


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