BURMA CORE GROUP -- URGING GOI AND ASEAN TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000084 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, F, EAP/MLS (J.EMERY),EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV SENV ID BM SUBJECT: BURMA CORE GROUP -- URGING GOI AND ASEAN TO SUPPORT EXTENSION REF: STATE 3932 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Per reftel instructions, Mission has urged the GOI and the ASEAN Secretariat to support extending the mandate of the Tripartite Core Group (TCG) on Burma cyclone relief. We underscored the TCG's unique role in coordinating critical relief and reconstruction assistance. GOI officials said they generally supported the TCG's work, while noting that Indonesia had not yet finalized its position on the mandate extension. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY (Con'd): Mission also touched base with the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. Secretariat officials said the question of extending the TCG mandate would be discussed at the January 17 Humanitarian Task Force meeting, but that the ASEAN Foreign Ministers would make the final decision at a later date. END SUMMARY. GOI REACTION ¶3. (C) Mission has delivered points regarding the Tripartite Core Group. On January 15, Poloff reviewed reftel message regarding the Burma cyclone TCG with Ade Sukendar of the Directorate of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU) and Budi Dewayani of DEPLU's Directorate for ASEAN Cooperation. Poloff noted that the TCG was a unique partnership among ASEAN, the UN and Burma, and that it had played a critical role in post-cyclone assistance. He reiterated USG support for ASEAN's role in the TCG and urged Indonesia to support extension of the mandate for another year. ¶4. (C) Dewayani replied that the GOI supported the TCG's efforts and noted that Indonesia had played a key role in creating the mechanism to begin with. That said, the Indonesian government had yet to finalize its position on extending the TCG mandate. FM Wirajuda planned to chair a meeting on the subject on January 16. That meeting would focus on finalizing Indonesia's position on the matter. ASEAN SECRETARIAT ON PROCESS ¶5. (C) Mission also touched base with the ASEAN Secretariat. Econoff conveyed the U.S. government's strong support for the extension of the TCG mandate for an additional year to ASEAN Secretariat Assistant Director Adelina Kamal. (Note: Kamal is one of three ASEAN Secretariat members of the TCG and is the lead coordinator for the January 17 Humanitarian Task Force Meeting.) Kamal expressed appreciation for the USG position and for the strong USG support of the TCG to date. ASEAN FM'S WILL DECIDE LATER ¶6. (C) Kamal noted that the question of extending the mandate of the TCG would be discussed at the January 17 meeting, but no decision will be made at that time. Following the January 17 discussion, the task force will formulate a recommendation for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers, who will decide on the extension at a later date. HEFFERN