VZCZCXYZ0006
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJA #0853 0820900
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 230900Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4006

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000853 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS TO PEACE CORPS FOR DIRECTOR TSCHETTER 
DEPT FOR S/BEECROFT AND A/S HILL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID
SUBJECT: THE PEACE CORPS AND INDONESIA 
 
¶1. (SBU) Mr. Director, I wanted to thank your personally for sending 
an excellent Peace Corps Assessment team to Indonesia on short 
notice.  The Embassy staff, a number of whom are former Peace Corps 
volunteers, set up an outstanding program for the team, with visits 
to a range of potential Peace Corps sites from Aceh to Bali, as well 
as very positive meetings with key Indonesian government officials. 
The team met with many volunteers from various agencies and saw how 
they live and work effectively and safely in local communities all 
over the country.  They experienced what Mission staff experience 
every day--the tremendous diversity and ideal environment that 
Indonesia offers the Peace Corps. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Given this extremely positive visit, we were naturally 
surprised and disappointed to learn the assessment team recommended 
against a Peace Corps program in Indonesia at this time, for 
security reasons.  In light of President Bush's call for greater 
engagement in the Islamic world, we hope you will reconsider and 
direct your staff to work with us on common sense solutions to the 
Peace Corps security concerns that would permit a program to go 
forward in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim majority country. 
If you are interested in seeing the promise of Indonesia firsthand, 
we would be delighted to host you here, perhaps during your upcoming 
visit to Asia. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Our entire Country Team believes strongly that a Peace 
Corps program that works closely with our security office can 
operate safely in Indonesia.  We are in continual contact with 
security representatives from NGOs, major U.S. companies, the UN and 
other Embassies, private security companies, and the Indonesian 
security services.  While no one can guarantee complete security 
from all threats at all times, this Mission provides protection for 
more than 500 American employees, family members, TDYers, and 
volunteers spread out across Indonesia. And the mission maintains a 
high level of discipline. 
 
¶4. (SBU) For the past several years, we have had very successful 
English language programs which place young volunteers in villages 
and universities, both urban and rural, throughout the archipelago. 
Many of these recent graduates live a life similar to the Peace 
Corps, working in small towns or urban areas with little contact 
with Americans.  Nine English Language Fellows and 13 Fulbright 
English Teaching Assistants are currently serving in Indonesia, 
several of whom the Assessment Team met.  These teachers receive a 
detailed security briefing by the Embassy's security staff when they 
arrive in country, and are encouraged to communicate often with the 
security office to pass on and receive updated security information. 
 In addition, the Embassy and Consulates have regular contact with 
the volunteers.  If appropriate, we notify local police authorities 
of their presence. To date these programs have proved to be so 
successful, the demand for these volunteer is 10 times the supply. 
Next year the ETA program will nearly triple and cover cities from 
Sumatra to Sulawesi.  For the first time an English Language Fellow 
will be working in the Malukus, to help rebuild the language program 
at Pattimura University in Ambon. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Many other missions and volunteer organizations have 
personnel posted throughout the archipelago.  The UN Volunteers 
program has 43 expatriate volunteers from Banda Aceh to Jayapura who 
live and work in smaller villages and forge strong ties with local 
communities.  Volunteers are given radios and maintain regular 
contact with the nearest duty stations.  This program, as well as 
others such as Volunteers in Asia (VIA) and Voluntary Service 
Overseas (VSO) maintain similar security practices and plan to 
expand their service in Indonesia. 
 
¶6. (SBU) President Bush's 2002 State of the Union speech contained a 
memorable pledge to "renew the promise of the Peace Corps, double 
its volunteers over the next five years and ask it to join a new 
effort to encourage development and education and opportunity in the 
Islamic world."  Indonesia is perhaps the most tolerant democracy in 
the Islamic world with a genuine need and desire for the Peace 
Corps.  Government officials from President Yudhyono down have 
expressed strong interest in seeing the Peace Corps return to 
Indonesia.  Several times the Assessment team themselves expressed 
surprise that the Peace Corps was not in a country so well suited 
for it.  They learned the same lesson the Mission staff experience 
every day: Indonesia's rich culture, tolerant heritage, and genuine 
need would prove rewarding for both Peace Corps volunteers and the 
local communities they serve. 
 
HEFFERN