VZCZCXRO6172
OO RUEHCHI RUEHNH RUEHPB
DE RUEHDT #0358 1930751
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O P 120751Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY DILI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2784
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0600
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 0324
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 0591
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0432
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0673
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0454
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0530
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 2110

C O N F I D E N T I A L DILI 000358 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS,IO 
PACOM FOR POLAD AND JOC 
USUN FOR GORDON OLSON AND RICHARD MCCURRY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  7/12/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO UN TT
SUBJECT: JAPANESE EMBASSY VIEWS NEXT UN MISSION 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Grover Joseph Rees, Ambassador, EXEC, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1. (C/NF) Summary:  A Japanese diplomat meeting with DCM spoke 
highly of Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) 
Sukehiro Hasegawa and suggested Hasegawa should head the next UN 
mission in East Timor.  Japan will not contribute troops or 
police to the peacekeeping operation (PKO), but believes that a 
PKO under a UN umbrella is necessary.  Japan prefers a large UN 
presence in East Timor focused on electoral assistance and 
police training.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (C/NF) Japanese Embassy Counselor Takashi Koizumi told DCM 
that although Japan has no formal position regarding the next 
Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG), Japanese 
diplomats believe Hasegawa wants the job and they believe he has 
done a good job so far.  Koizumi praised Hasegawa's contacts and 
relationships in East Timor and his history of close 
consultations with President Xanana Gusmao, Prime Minister Jose 
Ramos-Horta, and former Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri.  He said 
the SRSG job should be graded one step higher in the UN system 
than it currently is.  The follow-on mission, Koizumi believes, 
is likely to be four times the size of UNOTIL --- approaching 
the size of UNTAET.  He also noted that of all the SRSG jobs in 
the world, this is the only one occupied by an Asian.  Koizumi 
wondered if the U.S. would be willing to put in a good word for 
Hasegawa. 
 
¶3. (C/NF) Koizumi said Japan would not be contributing military 
or police to the peacekeeping operation (PKO) in East Timor due 
to domestic reticence, which he said was partly the result of 
Japan's PKO experience in Cambodia.  Japan believes the PKO 
should have some sort of UN status.  Japan also believes there 
should be a limited number of countries --- though perhaps more 
than one --- providing police training in Timor. 
 
¶4. (C/NF) Japan believes the next UN mission should have a 
special focus on electoral assistance.  Further, Koizumi said, 
the degree to which the UN advises the GOET should increase 
beyond what was seen with UNOTIL.  He said the SRSG and 
President Gusmao should preside over a consultative body and the 
President should take a much more active role than in the past. 
 
¶5. (C/NF) Japan's mission remains on the equivalent of ordered 
departure, with nonessential personnel, dependents, and most aid 
agency (JICA) staff evacuated.  He said they will watch closely 
what Australia, the U.S., and other missions decide with regard 
to their security posture. 
 
¶6. (C/NF) Comment: High regard for SRSG Hasegawa within the Dili 
diplomatic community is by no means limited to the Japanese 
Embassy.  His principal concerns and priorities --- human rights 
promotion, police reform, guaranteeing genuinely free and fair 
elections in 2007, and accountability for serious crimes 
committed in East Timor both in 1999 and in 2006 --- closely 
reflect those of the United States.   Although Embassy Dili has 
been informed that there may be at least one other credible 
candidate for the job, it is unlikely that anyone else would be 
as thoroughly committed and well prepared as Dr. Hasegawa to 
manage the complex and urgent mandate of the next UN mission. 
 
REES