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Viewing cable 07JAKARTA2417, CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERS TELL DAS MARCIEL DEMOCRACY

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07JAKARTA2417 2007-09-04 03:03 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Jakarta
VZCZCXRO6980
OO RUEHBZ RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #2417/01 2470303
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 040303Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6043
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RUEHJA/ISLAMIC CONFERENCE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 1093
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 1703
RUEHJS/AMCONSUL SURABAYA PRIORITY 1919
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002417 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL/PHD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC LE IR ID
SUBJECT: CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERS TELL DAS MARCIEL DEMOCRACY 
IS THRIVING 
 
REF: JAKARTA 2311 
 
JAKARTA 00002417  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
1. (SBU) Summary:  In an August 28 discussion with Deputy 
Assistant Secretary of State Scot Marciel, civil society 
leaders portrayed Indonesia as a strong democracy where NGOs 
have a vibrant voice.  Noting the lack of accountability for 
past human rights abuses, they pointed to the investigation 
into the murder of well-known human rights activist Munir as 
a harbinger of hope.  The activists also said strong U.S. 
support for human rights, rule of law and tolerance would be 
crucial as Indonesia solidified its grip on democracy.  End 
Summary. 
 
2.  (SBU) On August 28, EAP DAS Marciel participated in a 
luncheon discussion with ten leaders from the human rights, 
religious, and labor communities.  The DCM and Pol/C also 
participated.  Usman Hamid, Coordinator of the human rights 
organization KONTRAS, led off the discussion by emphasizing 
that accountability for past human rights crimes would be an 
essential component of Indonesia's democratic development. 
Noting that no one had been brought to justice yet for past 
abuses in East Timor, Papua and Aceh, he said the Munir case 
(see reftel) offered a ray of hope that the legal process 
could hold human rights violators accountable (Note:  Hamid, 
an attorney, has led the movement seeking justice in the 
Munir case).  Hamid added that democracy was the only system 
under which Indonesians could live together, and argued that 
support for democracy meant tolerating for a time those who 
opposed it, including the supporters of sharia law. 
 
Elections Are Making Officials Accountable 
------------------------------------------ 
 
3. (SBU) Hana Satryio, Director of Gender and Women's 
Participation at the Asia Foundation, said officials were 
increasingly accountable because of direct elections. She 
added that the growth of civil society outside of the major 
urban areas had been especially dynamic.  Hana pointed to the 
proliferation of stories on local corruption appearing 
regularly in newspapers across the country, sourcing 
investigations by local NGOs, as evidence of this. 
 
4. (SBU) Rekson Silaban, Chairman of the Indonesian 
Prosperity Trade Union, one of Indonesia's three major 
unions, said the legal framework for forming unions in 
Indonesia was one of the best in the region.  If anything, 
the legal environment was too conducive to forming unions, 
and by his estimation there were too many small ones. 
Despite the abundance of unions, Silaban said the abuse of 
workers' rights still occurred from time to time, citing the 
recent case of labor activist Sarta bin Sarim, who served 
three months in jail on charges of "unpleasant behavior" (a 
Dutch era law) after organizing a small May 1 rally outside 
the factory near Jakarta where he worked (septel). 
 
5.  DAS Marciel asked the group what they believed to be 
Indonesia's biggest challenges moving forward.  Hamid said 
that keeping democracy on track would be the foremost 
challenge, though he noted that Parliament was becoming 
powerful enough to deter any unlikely attempts by the 
military to seize power. 
 
6. Responding to DAS Marciel's inquiry, Satryio said 
corruption was the biggest problem because it limited 
people's access to public services.  She noted that while the 
problem was "humongous," the increasing frequency with which 
important officials were being prosecuted signaled progress 
on that front. 
 
U.S. should support moderate groups 
----------------------------------- 
 
7.  Gunawan Hidayat, Secretary General of Muhammadiyah Youth, 
said developing honest political leaders was the biggest 
challenge.  According to Hidayat, Muhammadiyah was pushing 
political parties to run leaders who would promote good 
governance in the next elections.  Hidayat said the U.S. 
should help moderate groups like Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and 
Muhammadiyah to deliver moderate messages, but he demurred 
when asked how openly the U.S. should be doing so.  He said 
law enforcement agencies and the courts were confronting 
radicalism in Indonesia, so support for rule of law would be 
a key way to fight extremism. 
 
 
JAKARTA 00002417  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
8.  Silaban complained that Indonesia was being singled out 
by the U.S. as a Muslim nation; Indonesia should not be seen 
solely through the prism of religion.  Satryio argued that in 
reality, Indonesia sat on the margins of the Muslim world as 
Arab Muslim countries did not respect Indonesia's more 
liberal Islamic customs and mores.   She questioned whether 
Indonesia should play a role as a leader in the Muslim world, 
or find other means to lead, such as in its capacity as a 
member of the UN Security Council. 
 
9.  Other participants included:  Indira Fernida of KONTRAS, 
Hery Azumi, Chairman of the Indonesian Muslim Student 
Movement (an NU organization), Benny Susetyo, Executive 
Secretary for the Interfaith Movement of the Indonesian 
 
SIPDIS 
Catholic Bishops Conference, Poenky Indarti, Executive 
Secretary for the human rights group IMPARSIAL, and Ratna 
 
SIPDIS 
Batara Munti, Director of the Legal Aid Society for Women's 
Rights and Justice. 
 
10. DAS Marciel approved this message. 
HUME