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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 003405 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
AIDAC 
 
DEPARTMENT PASS USTR KATZ 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/IET, DS/IP/EAP, DS/DSS, DSERCC, INR/EAP 
and INL 
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS AID 
USAID FOR ANE/EAA, J. Kunder and R. Cavitt 
Treasury for IA -- Anna Jewell 
NSC for Holly Morrow 
 
Embassy Jakarta Medan Affairs Office # 09, 2006 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON ASEC EWWT PINR PREL SI MY TH ID
SUBJECT: ADMIRAL FALLON AND SENATOR FEINGOLD DISCUSS 
SECURITY IN STRAIT OF MALACCA 
 
REFTELS:  (A) JAKARTA 001503 
          (B) 05 JAKARTA 012776 
          (C) 05 JAKARTA 003741 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (U) Commander Pacific Command (PACOM) Admiral William J. 
Fallon and Senator Russell Feingold met on February 25 in 
Medan with representatives of Indonesian military and police 
to discuss security in the Straits of Malacca.  The Admiral 
underscored USG interest in maintaining a safe and secure 
Strait and expressed concern that the Strait remained 
vulnerable to acts of terrorism.  Senator Feingold noted 
Indonesia's important role in combating piracy and 
terrorism.  All Indonesian interlocutors agreed terrorists 
had no known role in current piracy incidents.  Although 
cooperation among the littoral nations is good, Indonesia 
needs better communication equipment, boats, and training. 
End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Admiral Fallon and Senator Feingold met on February 
25 with representatives of Indonesian military and police at 
Consulate Medan to discuss security issues in the Strait of 
Malacca.  Indonesian Army (TNI) Chief of Staff for North 
Sumatra Brigadier General Wilono Djati Wiyono, Deputy 
Commander of Belawan Naval Port Colonel Rahardjo Pri 
Hanggono, Navy Chief Legal Assistant Yuli Dharmawanto, and 
Navy Intel Officer Lieutenant Colonel Amri represented the 
Indonesian military; North Sumatra Police Head of 
Intelligence Herman Effendy and Marine Police Head of 
Operations Omad represented the civilian security forces. 
PACOM POLAD Ravic Huso, PolCouns, and Medan Acting Consul 
also attended. 
 
Strait Security in U.S. Interest 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Admiral Fallon underscored USG interest in 
maintaining a safe and secure Strait for international 
commerce and shipping, and expressed concern that the Strait 
remained vulnerable to acts of international terrorism.  He 
asked about Indonesian military and police capabilities to 
combat piracy in the Strait and what assistance they would 
find helpful.  The Admiral emphasized the USG wanted to 
provide the ability for the nations around the Strait to 
police the water themselves, noting it is "your 
neighborhood." 
 
¶4. (U) Senator Feingold seconded Fallon's concerns about the 
threat to international maritime shipping from possible 
terrorist attacks in the Straits.  Feingold pointed to 
Indonesia's importance in regional efforts to combat piracy 
and international terrorism. 
 
Criminals to Blame for Attacks 
------------------------------ 
 
¶5. (SBU) All Indonesian interlocutors agreed terrorists had 
no role in current pirate incidents; criminals attacked 
ships for purely economic reasons, for an illegal profit or 
 
JAKARTA 00003405  002 OF 003 
 
 
in some cases simply to secure a livelihood.  Effendy noted 
a sharp decline in the number of attacks after August 2005 
when the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and GOI signed an MOU 
ending hostilities in Aceh.  Hanggono added that before the 
MOU, some acts of piracy were for the purpose of securing 
resources for the GAM, but such politically motivated 
attacks no longer occur. 
 
Cooperation Requires Enhanced Capability 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Effendy claimed domestic cooperation between police 
and military and fisheries officials was good.  Dharmawanto 
noted that police and navy conducted joint patrols since 
¶1980.  Amri noted that since December 2005, in cooperation 
with the U.S., two radar installations operated along the 
Sumatran coast and plans were for more radar sites to be 
installed from Riau province to Aceh. 
 
7.(SBU) International cooperation, however, suffered because 
of lack of direct communications.  Hanggono lamented that 
all communication from Malaysia or Singapore ships must be 
passed to military headquarters in Jakarta so that it can be 
relayed to the Indonesian ship.  This lack of communications 
makes it difficult to hand off suspicious vessels from one 
country's ships to the other's. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Amri reported Singapore will host a meeting in 
March for the four countries (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, 
and Indonesia) on the topic of maritime security.  Indonesia 
intends to discuss the Strait of Malacca (SOM) Memorandum of 
Understanding (MOU) that they have been rewriting.  If the 
SOM-MOU language is acceptable to all countries, the long 
delayed "eye in the sky" program may begin.  Dharmawanto 
reported there is no evidence that any acts of piracy in 
Indonesian waters were committed by non-Indonesians. 
 
¶9. (SBU) The police and navy agreed that lack of adequate 
ships impaired their ability to interdict pirate ships. 
North Sumatran Marine Police have only three 12-meter boats 
and only 32 speedboats to cover both coasts of the province. 
Hanggono said the navy has the same problem without offering 
any numbers.  The pirates have faster boats and can escape 
into adjoining jurisdictions before the Indonesians can 
react, Effendy said. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10. (U) Indonesian security forces firmly believe criminal 
elements with only financial motivations perpetrate the 
pirate attacks.  The reduction in numbers of attacks since 
the MOU signing further convinces them that many attacks in 
previous years were for the purpose of supporting the GAM. 
Nonetheless, they recognize the serious threat to shipping 
posed by attacks even if they downplay any connection to 
terrorism.  The Indonesians know the weakness in their fight 
against piracy in the Strait lies in the overall poor 
quality of their boats, radio equipment, and training. 
Political sensitivities remain, however, as Effendy noted, 
asking that the U.S. not engage directly because of 
 
JAKARTA 00003405  003 OF 003 
 
 
"sensitive border issues."  End Comment. 
 
¶11. (U) Admiral Fallon has cleared on this cable. 
 
Pascoe