VZCZCXRO8216
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #5853 1291052
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 091052Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3940
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 9420
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 3187
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0801
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 005853 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2016 
TAGS: PREF PHUM PGOV KJUS CVIS EAD ID BM
SUBJECT: UNHCR TO ADJUDICATE BURMESE CASES 
 
REF: JAKARTA 05484 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Lissa McAtee, reason 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
 ¶1.  (C) Shinji Kubo, Head of Protective Services at the 
United Nations High Commission for Refugees told us that 
UNHCR struck a confidential "gentlemen's agreement" on May 9 
with the Immigration office in Jakarta and the head of 
Immigration in Aceh, to transfer the 77 Burmese refugees 
currently being held in Sabang, Aceh to Medan (reftel). 
UNHCR will assist with the logistics of the transfer, which 
Kubo estimated would take several days.  Once the transfer is 
complete, the government of Indonesia (GOI) will give UNCHR 
the opportunity to interview and adjudicate the claims of the 
refugees in Medan. 
 
¶2. (C) The refugees have yet to make a claim for asylum and 
thus far have only expressed their desire to go to Malaysia; 
however, language barriers and lack of awareness of their 
options may be reasons for this.  Kubo has previously 
intimated to us (reftel) that the Burmese would qualify for 
asylum should they apply for it.  However, if they do not 
apply for asylum, or do not qualify for some reason, UNHCR 
will turn them back over to the GOI.  Based on past record, 
refugees turned over to the GOI typically linger in 
detention, disappear into the general population, or receive 
funding from their respective embassy to return to their home 
country. 
 
¶3. (C) Kubo emphasized the political pressure that the 
government of Indonesia (GOI) is under regarding this case 
(reftel) and asked that UNHCR's agreement with the GOI be 
kept under wraps.  He also lobbied us for financial 
assistance in feeding the 77 refugees while they are in 
detention in Medan.  Kubo said that they have twice as many 
people to feed as their budget allows for and International 
Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Australian Embassy 
have already denied UNHCR assistance.  He warned that if 
UNHCR, with the help of "key countries", cannot financially 
support the refugees, the GOI may be more inclined in future 
similar cases to opt for deportation. 
 
¶4. (SBU) We raised this Burmese case with the Foreign 
Ministry on May 2.  Johnny Sinaga, desk officer at thQ 
Department for Human Rights, Social and Cultural Affairs, 
assured us that the GOI viewed this as a humanitarian, not a 
political, issue and the views/findings of UNHCR would be 
considered.  While the Foreign Ministry views were not 
authoritative, we did not receive any indication that 
Indonesia might forcibly return the 77 to Burma. 
 
¶5.  (C) Please advise on how to reply to Kubo's request for 
financial assistance. 
PASCOE