VZCZCXRO5613
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #2167/01 2210843
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 090843Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5720
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0985
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 3393
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0649
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 1642
RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0649
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002167 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/PD, DRL/AWH, DRL/PD, INR/EAP, 
G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KPAO ID
SUBJECT: CENTRAL JAVA: CONTACTS FLAG TRAFFICKING, RELIGIOUS 
FREEDOM ISSUES 
 
REF: A. JAKARTA 01525 
 
     ¶B. JAKARTA 0552 
     ¶C. JAKARTA 01649 
 
JAKARTA 00002167  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
 ¶1.  (U) This message is Sensitive but Unclassified -- Please 
handle accordingly. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY: Poloff and Pol FSN recently traveled to 
Semarang, Central Java.  Key contacts raised concerns about 
human trafficking, but also described positive inter-faith 
relations in the Semarang area.  Poloff participated in a 
panel discussion on gender and family issues at an American 
Corner.  END SUMMARY. 
 
VISIT TO SEMARANG 
================= 
¶3.  (U) On July 26-27, Poloff and Pol FSN traveled to 
Semarang, Central Java, to investigate human rights issues, 
including trafficking in persons, women,s and children,s 
issues, and religious freedom.  Located on the north coast of 
Central Java, the provincial capital of Semarang is home to 
approximately 1.5 million people in a province with roughly 
35 million people.  Given its location on the Java Sea, 
Semarang is home to one of Indonesia,s largest ports, a 
fading Dutch quarter, and one of Indonesia,s largest Chinese 
communities. 
 
FLAGGING TRAFFICKING CONCERNS 
============================= 
¶4.  (SBU) Poloff and Pol FSN met with representatives from 
the Central Java Women and Children Care Network (JPPA), a 
consortium of 33 organizations established in 2000.  The 
representatives told us that trafficking in women and 
children, particularly to overseas locations, remains a 
problematic issue in Central Java, but one that receives 
little attention or funding.  They noted that the provincial 
government has no official data on trafficking and no 
effective mechanism for handling such cases.  To fill this 
vacuum, the JPPA consortium works with anti-trafficking NGOs 
throughout Indonesia to free victims and return them to their 
homes.  In doing so, it attempts to involve the provincial 
government in order to build the government,s capacity and 
expertise.  Poloff underscored USG concerns about 
trafficking, noting USG-sponsored programs focused on 
building capabilities.  JPPA agreed to remain in touch with 
Mission on ways to counter trafficking in the Semarang 
region. 
 
¶5.  (U) In addition to working to assist trafficking victims, 
the JPPA also advocates on behalf of women political 
candidates, conducts training on gender issues in the 
provincial legislature, and encourages the provincial 
government to implement national laws -- such as the Domestic 
Violence Law -- that protect and empower women and children. 
The five JPPA representatives we spoke with were critical of 
the province,s draft law on child protection, which they 
said does not effectively prevent child labor, and they have 
lobbied the provincial legislature to change the bill,s 
language. 
 
POSITIVE NEWS ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 
================================== 
¶6.  (SBU) The U.S. team also discussed religious freedom with 
Dr. Gregorius Sudargo, head of the Indonesian Catholic Forum 
(FMKI) and Coordinator of the Interfaith Forum for Central 
Java.  Sudargo described Central Java as a province of 
relatively peaceful religious coexistence, adding that the 
religiously-motivated attacks and discrimination which 
sometimes occur in West and East Java are relatively 
infrequent.  In a separate meeting, Kabul Supriyadie, a human 
rights lawyer and judge recently appointed to the Indonesian 
Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), echoed Sudargo,s 
views, noting that he was unaware of any major challenges to 
religious freedom in Central Java. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) One notable example of religious cooperation 
occurred two years ago when a group of Christians tried to 
establish a new church in Semarang.  According to Sudargo, 
they encountered resistance from local politicians who 
 
JAKARTA 00002167  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
refused to grant permission, citing the GOI,s 2006 Joint 
Ministerial Decree on Construction of Houses of Worship (Ref 
B-C).  Leaders from the Semarang branch of Nadatul Ulama 
(NU), the largest Muslim social organization in Indonesia, 
advocated on behalf of the Christians, however, and the 
politicians allowed the church to be built. 
 
¶8.  (U) Despite the generally positive inter-faith 
relationships in Central Java, Sudargo noted that radical 
religious groups were common in the area around Solo.  (Note: 
 Abu Bakar Ba,asyir co-founded a pesantren in Solo.)  He 
added that additional attention must be paid to providing 
religious instruction at school in all of the Indonesia,s 
official religions.  Likewise, Kabul Supriyadie of Komnas HAM 
expressed the view that the most critical human rights issue 
in Indonesia at-large is the protection of religious freedom. 
 Specifically, he cited continuing attacks and discrimination 
against the Ahmadiyah sect, which says it is Muslim, a claim 
rejected by many Muslim Sunnis. 
 
VISIT TO AMERICAN CORNER 
======================== 
¶9.  (U) On June 26, Poloff participated in a lively program 
on gender and family issues from American, Javanese, and 
Middle Eastern perspectives at the American Corner at Islamic 
State University (IAIN) Walisongo in Semarang.  Despite it 
being summer vacation, an audience of approximately 50 male 
and female students and educators showed up and remained 
engaged throughout the three-hour session, making 
sophisticated statements and asking thoughtful questions. 
The American Corner facility was comfortable and well-stocked 
with English-language books and periodicals as well as 
computers with internet access.  The IAIN Walisongo staff 
involved with the American Corner took great pride in the 
facility and boasted that it was the best English-language 
resource in the area.  In fact, they said that students from 
nearby Diponogoro University, a large and prestigious state 
university, often come to IAIN to use its resources to 
conduct academic research. 
 
HUME