VZCZCXRO4921
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1655/01 1650931
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 140931Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5093
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0818
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 1543

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001655 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/RSA, G/TIP, EAP/MTS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM ELAB KCRM KWMN PREL PGOV SMIG KPAO ID
SUBJECT: GOI AGREES WITH MAIN POINTS OF 2007 TIP REPORT 
INDONESIA NARRATIVE 
 
REF: A. JAKARTA 1056 (REFORMER TAKES HELM OF MIGRANT 
        WORKER PROTECTION) 
     ¶B. JAKARTA 1130 (PRESIDENT SIGNS ANTI-TRAFFICKING 
        LAW) 
     ¶C. JAKARTA 590 (INDONESIA ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN 
        PERSONS REPORT) 
 
This cable is sensitive but unclassified; please protect 
accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  On June 12, we delivered the 2007 
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report's narrative for Indonesia 
to Sumarni Dawam Raharjo, the specially appointed TIP law 
implementation task force leader from the Ministry of Women's 
Empowerment.  We also relayed the talking points on 
Indonesia's progress and areas for improvements cited in the 
report.  Sumarni was very pleased with the positive points of 
the narrative and also agreed with the constructive 
criticisms, citing efforts underway to address outstanding 
issues.  She briefed us on a series of TIP National Task 
Force meetings she has convened since the landmark 
anti-trafficking law went into effect in April 2007 (ref B). 
On June 13, we issued a press release announcing the 2007 TIP 
Report, including the Indonesian narrative and the Washington 
File article on 2007 TIP hero Wahyu Susilo, an Indonesian, 
and posted the report on the Embassy website.  The report 
received prominent press coverage on June 14.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) We delivered on June 12 the 2007 TIP Report's 
Indonesian country narrative and talking points to the key 
person coordinating Indonesia's anti-trafficking efforts, 
Sumarni Dawam Raharjo, appointed last month by the Minister 
of Women's Empowerment to spearhead implementation of 
Indonesia's comprehensive new anti-trafficking law.  (Note: 
Sumarni retired in March as deputy minister but was appointed 
to this special position to ensure continuity in 
implementation of the new law, a law which she worked on for 
two years before its successful enactment in April 2007). 
Sumarni noted her satisfaction with Indonesia's improvement 
from Tier 2 Watchlist status in 2006 to Tier 2 in 2007, 
reading the narrative carefully before commenting further. 
Pleased with the areas of progress noted in the report, 
Sumarni also acknowledged each of the areas of weakness. 
PolOff pointed out to her the progress and deficiencies 
emphasized in the talking points and left her a non-paper, 
which she said she would share with the minister. 
 
Budget is Lacking 
----------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Sumarni said getting a larger budget for TIP efforts 
is difficult because there are no earmarks for TIP.  Rather, 
funds are dispersed in general budgets for areas such as 
social services and health care, and she has to make special 
efforts for each agency to set aside funds for TIP-specific 
initiatives.  Regarding the migrant worker protection system, 
she cited the new National Agency for the Placement and 
Protection of Indonesian Overseas Workers (BNP2TKI) as taking 
aggressive steps to protect migrant workers against 
trafficking (ref A).  She also acknowledged the need to 
change the MOU with Malaysia regarding migrant worker rights. 
 Finally, she agreed that official corruption remains a major 
impediment to more progress, agreeing with PolOff on which 
agencies have the farthest to go in that regard. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Regarding implementation of the new anti-trafficking 
law, Ms. Sumarni explained the series of interagency meetings 
held in late May and early June to coordinate quick 
implementation of the law.  Civil society, -- including human 
rights NGOs, legal experts and international NGOs -- all 
participated in these meetings she said.  (Note:  Both 
DOJ/ICITAP and the USG-funded Solidarity Center sent 
representatives to the meetings at the invitation of the 
Ministry of Women's Empowerment, and reported to us that the 
meetings were well attended and productive).  The first 
meeting was with law enforcement agencies and second with 
social service agencies.  Currently, National Task Force 
representatives from all agencies as well as the outside 
organizations mentioned above are meeting for several days 
near Jakarta to focus on the next steps.  Ms. Sumarni said 
she lacks sufficient funding to carry out all the necessary 
implementing activities but that she is seeking new funding 
from various GOI and international sources. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Ms. Sumarni accepted our invitation to participate 
in a morning seminar we are hosting to discuss the 2007 TIP 
Report's recommendations for Indonesia, scheduled for June 
 
JAKARTA 00001655  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶28.  TIP Hero Wahyu Susilo of Migrant Care and other 
government and civil society leaders will also participate. 
She also accepted an invitation to attend a luncheon meeting 
of international donors and NGOs we are hosting immediately 
following the seminar in order to coordinate future funding 
of anti-TIP efforts and solicit more support from countries 
that might have an interest in funding TIP programs, such as 
Japan. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) We issued a press release on the 2007 TIP Report on 
June 13, including the Indonesian narrative, citing the link 
to the entire report in the release; the report was also 
posted on the Embassy website.  We also issued the Washington 
File story on TIP Hero Wahyu Susilo.  These got limited but 
prominent coverage in June 14 media, with more coverage 
expected later.  The English-language daily Jakarta Post ran 
stories headlined, "RI Earns Praise in Latest Human 
Trafficking Report" and "Activist Honored for 
Anti-Trafficking Work."  The story quoted the Charge as 
saying that the report credits Indonesia for progress in 
passing the new law and raising public awareness but that it 
also notes the great magnitude of the problem, 
trafficking-related complicity by public officials and the 
need to better protect migrant workers.  The USG will 
continue to support Indonesia in its efforts by funding 
programs.  The article also quotes a women's rights activist 
as saying she agrees the government has made improvements in 
fighting human trafficking but that lack of funding has 
hampered efforts. 
HEFFERN