BALI PROCESS TO ADDRESS ROHINGYA ISSUE IN JULY AD

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000928 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, PRM, DRL; NSC FOR EPHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF ID BM SUBJECT: BALI PROCESS TO ADDRESS ROHINGYA ISSUE IN JULY AD HOC MEETING REF: JAKARTA 698 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Bali Process Steering Committee will meet on June 3 to discuss transnational migration issues, a senior Indonesian diplomat has told DepPol/C. Participants are planning a July senior officials' meeting which is meant to focus on recent migration movements in the region. A constructive regional initiative, the Bali Process is co-chaired by the Indonesian and Australian governments, and is focused on combating trafficking in persons and dealing with other transnational issues in the Asia-Pacific region. Indonesia has been impacted recently by the arrival of Rohingya, Sri Lankan and Afghan migrants, some of whom were on the way to Australia. END SUMMARY. UPCOMING BALI PROCESS CONSULTATIONS ¶2. (C) The Bali Process is working to re-invigorate discussion of migration issues in the Asia-Pacific region. Diplomats from Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as representatives from UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM),will meet in Bangkok on June 3 to plan a July ad hoc meeting to discuss transnational movements of Rohingyas, Afghans and Sri Lankans, according to Desra Percaya, Director for International Security and Disarmament at the Department of Foreign Affairs. ¶3. (C) The Steering Committee will meet on the margins of the IOM-sponsored Regional Consultative Process which is meeting on June 4-5, IOM Regional Representative Mark Getchell confirmed to DepPol/C. The July meeting will include senior officials from countries of origin, transit and destination, Percaya told DepPol/C on May 29. The July meeting would be part of an ad hoc mechanism for member countries to raise transnational issues as agreed to at the April 14-15 Bali Process Ministerial Conference which was held in Indonesia. ROHINGYA ISSUE IS JUST THE FIRST STEP ¶4. (C) The Rohingya issue will receive special focus due to Indonesian concerns regarding migrants who recently arrived in Sumatra from Bangladesh and Burma (see reftels). The GOI plans to send a special envoy to Burma to try to persuade the regime to send a senior official to the July meeting, Percaya said. Indonesia believes that Burma does not see discussing Rohingya migration as a threat to its regime. The GOI hopes that this type of dialogue with the regime can lead to openings to discuss democracy and human rights. Burma must address the humanitarian treatment of Rohingyas, including citizenship issues, in order to get to the root causes of the problem, Percaya said, referring to what Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told a senior Burmese official at an April 15 breakfast meeting in Bali (reftel). REGIONAL COORDINATION CRITICAL ¶5. (C) Founded in 2002, the Bali Process is co-chaired by the Indonesian and Australian governments, and is focused on combating trafficking in persons and dealing with other transnational issues in the Asia-Pacific region. A major focus of the July ad hoc meeting will be increased sharing of intelligence and capacity building among affected countries. Right now, when a boatload of migrants is launched, there is no system to share that information with transit and recipient countries in the region, Percaya said. The meeting also will address the root causes and security issues behind migrant flows, including from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. HUME