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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002422 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, PM, T 
SECDEF FOR USDP/ISA/EA (IPSEN) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2017 
TAGS: PREL MARR PHUM PGOV ID
SUBJECT: DAS MARCIEL'S MEETING WITH MINDEF ADVISOR ON 
MIL-MIL RELATIONSHIP 
 
JAKARTA 00002422  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak for reasons 1.4 (b,d). 
 
 ¶1. (C)  SUMMARY: EAP DAS Scot Marciel's meeting with MG 
Djoko Sutrisno at the Department of Defense highlighted 
progress in the bilateral defense relationship, challenges of 
managing it and means of moving it forward.  Discussion 
touched on assistance, exchanges and training, human rights 
accountability and vetting, defense reform, peacekeeping, 
regional cooperation, Papua and East Timor.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Bilateral Defense Relationship Moving Forward 
--------------------------------------------- 
¶2. (C) Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific 
Affairs Scot Marciel met with MG Djoko Sutrisno, Adviser to 
the Minister of Defense on Security Matters, in Jakarta on 
August 27 to discuss U.S.-Indonesian military-to-military 
cooperation and its place in the broader bilateral 
relationship.  Marciel said Indonesia was a very important 
country in Southeast Asia and Washington was pleased with the 
progress in the bilateral relationship.  Other countries had 
a similarly positive view of Indonesia.  The United States 
and Indonesia were the second and third largest democracies, 
respectively, in the world, and needed to work together to 
promote common objectives.  The United States valued 
Indonesia's contributions of international peacekeeping 
troops and its cooperation on the United Nations Security 
Council as a non-permanent member.  Washington planned to 
provide assistance for the Indonesian military's planned 
peacekeeping training center. 
 
¶3. (C) Sutrisno agreed U.S.-Indonesian military cooperation 
was growing and said the relationship was also important to 
Jakarta.  The Indonesian military (TNI) benefited greatly 
from the exchanges and other joint activities with U.S. armed 
forces.  One possible site for the planned peacekeeping 
training center was Bandung, where existing facilities could 
easily be converted for that purpose. 
 
Draft National Security Legislation 
----------------------------------- 
¶4. (C) Marciel noted the TNI was in transition to a new role 
in support of democracy, and asked about future legislation 
to continue the reform process.  Sutrisno said that, in 
addition to the military law and national defense law passed 
in 2004, the government was now drafting a bill on national 
security.  This bill involved many agencies, including the 
police, and one of the key issues was whether the police 
should be subordinated to a civilian ministry.  The TNI's 
goal was to become a professional force, which could better 
defend the country.  The government wanted to develop a 
strategic plan like the Pentagon's Quadrennial Defense 
Review, though with a shorter cycle, and issue a new white 
paper to supersede the previous one. 
 
Concerns over Papua 
------------------- 
¶5. (C) Characterizing developments in Aceh as impressive, 
Marciel emphasized Washington would continue to support the 
peace process and economic recovery there.  On Papua, he 
reiterated the USG's support for Indonesia's unity and 
territorial integrity, and expressed hope that economic 
progress and improved governance could reduce tensions in the 
province.  He urged the government to allow travel to and a 
greater flow of information from Papua to reduce 
misperceptions about what was happening inside. 
 
¶6. (C) Sutrisno affirmed the situation in Aceh continued to 
improve, despite day-to-day frictions and occasional clashes. 
 Prospects were very good for the peace based on the Helsinki 
Memorandum of Understanding would become permanent.  The 
occasional disturbances, such as use of the GAM (Aceh 
Independence Movement) flag, were temporary irritants but did 
not affect overall progress on the peace process.  Jakarta 
authorities and the TNI had expected that GAM diehards would 
challenge the new order, but Governor Irwandi and Vice 
President Kalla were both committed to making the peace work. 
 
JAKARTA 00002422  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 Sutrisno noted Rep. Faleomaveaga's visit to Indonesia in 
early July had gone well and his statements regarding Papua 
had been constructive.  Fisheries Minister Numberi had been a 
good interlocutor. 
 
Threats to Indonesian Security 
------------------------------ 
¶7. (C) Sutrisno said Indonesia did not face any significant 
external threats to its security other than international 
terrorism, which it was fighting.  The main threat was 
internal:  the potential for separation of ethnic regions 
from the republic.  The TNI was charged constitutionally with 
upholding Indonesia's sovereignty and would continue to do 
this, but would so do according to law.  The TNI could not 
move troops into Aceh, for example, without approval by the 
national legislature (DPR) and the president.  Similarly, 
Indonesia was improving its collaboration with Malaysia and 
the Philippines to protect shared international waterways in 
the region. 
 
Managing the Relationship:  Human Rights and Reform 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
¶8. (C) Marciel said Indonesia today was vastly different from 
ten years ago and everyone recognized that.  To continue to 
strengthen the mil-mil relationship, both governments needed 
to work together to address two linked problems:  Indonesian 
concern about the United States' reliability as a supplier; 
and U.S. concerns about the lack of Indonesian accountability 
for past human rights abuses.  Both sides needed to keep 
working to overcome these problems, as the accountability 
issue would not disappear.  He noted that Leahy human-rights 
vetting was a worldwide requirement and did not specifically 
target Indonesia. 
 
¶9. (C) Sutrisno reiterated the value of dialogue and 
exchanges in helping to educate the TNI and make it more 
professional.  Indonesia welcomed the training provided under 
the International Military Education and Training (IMET) 
program.  Indonesia also appreciated the maritime radar 
surveillance systems that the United States was providing for 
the Malacca Strait and Sulawesi Sea (through Section 1206 
funding).  Sutrisno said the TNI now understood the Leahy 
requirements and noted that recent briefings to the TNI on 
this issue had been very useful. 
 
¶10. (C) Marciel emphasized the disproportionate negative 
impact that a single news story could have on the bilateral 
military relationship.  Tommy Suharto's participation in a 
shooting competition with the Army Special Forces was an 
example.  Critics used such stories to argue for slower 
engagement.  Sutrisno replied that Tommy had not been invited 
but rather had learned of the event on his own.  The unit 
commander, who formerly had been one of President Suharto's 
guards, had not intended to give Tommy any special 
recognition, but a photograph had caught his brief show of 
respect.  Indonesia was trying to be as objective as possible 
in the hearing of the Truth and Friendship Commission with 
East Timor and was working with East Timor to resolve the 
problem and move together into the future. 
 
¶11. (U) DAS Marciel approved this message. 
HUME