HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT -- POSITIVE REACTION TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000553 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, DRL, DRL/AWH NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KISL ID SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT -- POSITIVE REACTION TO INDONESIA CHAPTER Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Since its release a month ago, media reaction to the 2008 Country Report on Human Rights Practices for Indonesia has been relatively muted, with the report only generating several press articles. GOI officials had no public reaction, but several contacts privately welcomed language in the report demonstrating Indonesia's improved human rights record. Legislative branch and NGO contacts also welcomed the report, including contextual language on improvements in the new, democratic Indonesia since the fall of the authoritarian Suharto regime in 1998. We have posted the Bahasa Indonesia translation of the report on Mission's website. END SUMMARY. PRESS REACTION MUTED ¶2. (SBU) Local media reaction to the 2008 Country Report on Human Rights Practices for Indonesia has been muted since its release on February 25. The report has generated a handful of mainly factually-oriented articles, including in VIVAnews, a privately-owned news service. The VIVAnews report--which was in Bahasa Indonesia--was positive, commenting favorably on the USG's assessment that the Indonesian government had generally tried to uphold citizen's rights and civil liberties. There were several other articles regarding the report hitting similar themes. Major English-language newspapers like the "Jakarta Post" and the "Jakarta Globe" did not report on the release; nor did TV and radio (where most Indonesians get their news). NO OFFICIAL COMMENT FROM GOI ¶3. (C) The Indonesian government has not publicly commented on the report. Government officials reacted favorably in private, however. Echoing other comments we picked up, Deputy Director Diana Emilla of the Directorate of Human Rights at the Department of Foreign Affairs told poloff that the GOI considers the report to be "relatively comprehensive and credible." She added that the GOI had no complaints. Emilla noted that she and other GOI officials appreciated the language in the report citing the improving human rights situation in Indonesia. Emilla said, "too many people believe that Indonesia remains stuck...the recent human rights report works to change this misperception." LEGISLATORS, NGO REACTION POSITIVE ¶4. (C) Reaction from the legislative branch and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) representatives has been positive. Djoko Susilo, an MP and human rights activist, told Pol/C that he appreciated getting a copy of the report from Mission. He said the report gained credibility from contextual language which indicated that the new, democratic Indonesia had made progress on human rights since the fall of the Suharto regime in 1998. ¶5. (C) Poloff also spoke to several human rights activists and NGO's following the release of the report. They found the report to be candid and persuasive. They added that the "detail alone was impressive." Having said that, one contact noted that Indonesia must continue to make progress on the issue of accountability for human rights abuses, citing the Munir Said Talib murder case as a key concern. (Note: Munir, a human rights campaigner, was poisoned in 2004. Various court cases continue to work through the system regarding the apparent murder conspiracy.) IT'S ALL ONLINE ¶6. (U) Mission has translated the report into Bahasa Indonesia and prominently posted the report on its public website. Several contacts have noted the ease they had in accessing the report via the Internet and the availability of the report in Bahasa Indonesia. ¶7. (U) The English language version of the report is available at: http://jakarta.usembassy.gov/press rel/March09/ Human Rights Reports.html. The Bahasa Indonesia language version is available at: http://jakarta.usembassy.gov/bhs/Laporan/HR08 ham.html. HUME