VZCZCXRO0751
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #7216/01 1581120
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 071120Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5451
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 0426
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEAWJB/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 007216 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/IET, EAP/RSP, G/TIP 
ALSO FOR USAID ANE/SPOTS, ANE/SEA, IGAT/WID, DCHA/DG 
DEPT OF JUSTICE FOR ICITAP AND OPDAT 
DEPT PASS TO DEPT OF LABOR FOR ILAB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL EAID ELAB KJUS KCRM ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA RESPONDS CONSTRUCTIVELY TO TIP DEMARCHE, 
FOCUSES ON TASKS AHEAD 
 
REF: A. JAKARTA 2979 - 2006 TIP REPORT 
 
     ¶B. JAKARTA 3490 - ANTI-CORRUPTION MOVES FORWARD 
     ¶C. JAKARTA 3680 - POLICE FREE CHILD PROSTITUTES 
     ¶D. STATE 85638 - TIP DEMARCHE 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) We delivered the Indonesia TIP report demarche (ref 
D) to relevant senior GOI officials.  Based on the existing 
strong partnership with the U.S. Mission, the officials 
responded constructively with a litany of recent and 
near-term actions.  The outlook for passage this year of the 
anti-trafficking in persons bill remained positive.  Senior 
officials cited President Yudhoyono's personal commitment to 
better protect Indonesians abroad.  End Summary. 
 
Senior Officials Receive Demarche 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On June 5 we informed the GOI of Indonesia's Tier 
II Watch List status.  We delivered the Indonesia TIP report 
demarche (ref D) on June 6-7 to the senior officials who lead 
the Indonesian Government's national anti-trafficking task 
force, Deputy Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare 
Maswita Djaya and Deputy Women's Empowerment Minister Sumarni 
Dawam Rahardjo.  We also provided them with an Indonesian 
translation of the country narrative.  We conveyed the same 
information to senior officials and advisors at the Attorney 
General's Office during a June 7 meeting with the Attorney 
General.  We will present this information to the National 
Police Headquarters in the coming days. 
 
Focus on Action Items 
--------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) We discussed the report in detail with Maswita and 
Sumarni, with particular focus on the action items identified 
in the 2006 TIP report, including passage of the 
comprehensive anti-trafficking bill.  We also emphasized the 
importance of documenting and accurately reporting law 
enforcement statistics.  Both Maswita and Sumarni, in 
separate meetings, responded constructively to the demarche. 
They acknowledged the inclusion of incomplete (underreported) 
law enforcement data in the GOI's own annual trafficking 
report for 2006.  Maswita and Sumarni expressed optimism 
regarding passage of the TIP law and increased actions 
against child prostitution and abusive child domestic labor. 
They believed anti-corruption measures specifically tied to 
trafficking constituted the most difficult of the three areas 
for improvement, but noted progress in Indonesia's larger 
anti-corruption campaign.  Maswita and Sumarni reviewed a 
number of recent and pending GOI actions. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The anti-trafficking bill:  Indonesia's parliament 
(DPR) continued to work on the bill and would soon make the 
formal request to President Yudhoyono to assign an executive 
counterpart to complete the deliberations.  Given Yudhoyono's 
public pledge in December 2005 to pass the law as soon as 
possible, the officials expected a quick turnaround from the 
Palace and passage of the law this year.  (Comment:  The 
U.S.-funded technical advisor working with the parliamentary 
committee shares this view, estimating September as the 
earliest possible timeframe for passage.  End Comment.) 
 
¶5.  (U) Guidelines for child domestic workers:  The Women's 
Ministry, with technical assistance from the ILO, completed 
guidelines for child domestic workers and announced these in 
a public ceremony in May.  The guidelines do not have the 
effect of law. 
 
¶6.  (U) Regulations on child domestic workers:  The Manpower 
Ministry has drafted new governmental regulations on the 
rights of child domestic workers and responsibilities of 
employers.  The Ministry is now seeking input from local 
governments.  A traditional view of child servants as part of 
the family unit as opposed to employees remained a difficulty 
for completing regulations that the GOI could hope to 
implement. 
 
¶7.  (U) MOU with Malaysia:  Indonesia and Malaysia concluded 
a memorandum of understanding on "the Recruitment and 
 
JAKARTA 00007216  002 OF 002 
 
 
Placement of Indonesian Domestic Workers," signed May 13 in 
Bali.  The GOI hoped this would provide legal clarity and 
greater protection for Indonesians working in Malaysian 
households.  Indonesia has similar MOU's with Hong Kong and 
Taiwan. 
 
¶8.  (U) Bank credit scheme for migrant workers:  Several 
Indonesian banks, with GOI instigation, had begun credit 
schemes for migrant workers.  This in part was designed to 
mitigate situations of debt bondage to migrant worker 
recruiting agencies (PJTKI). 
 
¶9.  (U) New migrant worker body:  The GOI was on track to 
form the new migrant worker agency this year ("the Indonesian 
Migrant Worker Placement and Protection Agency") inspired in 
part by the Philippines model.  The agency would offer 
integrated government services and streamline the migrant 
worker process. 
 
¶10.  (U) New women's center in Batam:  The Batam local 
government had donated five hectares of land for a new 
expansive women's shelter and training facility, and the 
Coordinating Minister has sought donations from Batam 
businesses to fund Rupiah 7 billion (USD 760 thousand) in 
construction costs.  (Note:  Batam, near Singapore, is a 
major transit and destination point for trafficking.  End 
Note.) 
 
¶11.  (U) Sustainable return/reintegration efforts:  The 
Coordinating Ministry had readied a modest budget of Rupiah 
500 million (USD 54 thousand) to carry out pilot 
return/reintegration efforts in three districts.  The object 
was to arrive at a model that was affordable and could be 
sustained by the GOI and local governments in the future. 
Current internationally-funded return/reintegration efforts, 
like that of IOM, were too costly for Indonesia to replicate. 
 
 
Presidential Commitment 
----------------------- 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Maswita ascribed positive developments related to 
migrant worker protection to President Yudhoyono's personal 
outrage at the plight of Indonesian laborers abroad.  The 
President's "hair was on fire" following his visits to 
Malaysia and Saudi Arabia (major receiving countries for 
Indonesian workers).  Part of his anger was directed at 
Indonesian officials, leading to the current crackdown on 
corruption in Indonesia's diplomatic posts in Malaysia, which 
includes a criminal investigation of the Indonesian 
ambassador. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶13.  (SBU) The GOI's constructive response to this year's 
critical country narrative and tier ranking reflects the 
strong relationship the U.S. Mission has built with senior 
Indonesian officials on the trafficking issue.  It also 
highlights the multi-dimensional efforts underway in 
Indonesia to make further headway against this serious crime. 
PASCOE