VZCZCXRO6695
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #2875/01 2840948
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 110948Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6652
INFO RUEAWJB/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0952
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4406
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1366
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4245
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002875 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MTS, EEB/IFD/OIA, INL BOULDIN 
L/LEI FOR BUCHHOLZ 
DOJ FOR CRIM AAG SWARTZ 
DOJ/OIA FOR WARNER/ROBINSON 
DOJ/OPDAT FOR ALEXANDRE/LEHMANN/JOHNSON 
DOJ/AFMLS FOR SAMUEL 
MCC FOR AMBASSADOR DANILOVICH AND MORFORD 
DEPT PASS USTR FOR AMBASSADOR SCHWAB 
TREASURY FOR IA - BAUKOL 
USAID FOR ANE/AA WARD 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KMCA KCOR ECON KJUS KPAO ID
SUBJECT: YOGYAKARTA - PROMOTING ACCOUNTABILITY IN GOVERNMENT 
 
JAKARTA 00002875  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Yogyakarta provincial leadership has 
instituted several initiatives to promote greater accountability and 
more responsive local government.  The Governor established public 
and private ombudsman offices and a regional oversight body to 
promote better governance.  Despite some success, the mediocre 
record of the District Attorney's Special Crimes Unit and 
Yogyakarta's earthquake assistance (some estimate up to 50% was lost 
to corruption) is indicative of the larger structural limitations 
that make better governance and anti-corruption reform elusive. 
However, anti-corruption movements at local universities provide 
hope for future reform. End Summary. 
 
First Public and Private Ombudsman in Indonesia 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2. (U) Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X established Indonesia's 
first provincial-level public and private ombudsman offices in 
Yogyakarta to monitor public service delivery.  Both the public and 
private offices have thirteen members, including five commissioners. 
 Budi Santoso, head of the Public Ombudsman, said that 80% of the 
200 plus complaints regarding public services have been resolved 
through mediation.  Common complaints relate to identity cards, 
earthquake assistance, education, and law enforcement.  Budi 
Wahyuni, head of the Private Ombudsman, said that cases for the 
Private Ombudsman focus on government policies related to doing 
business, such as consumer rights, ethics, and business practices. 
 
 
¶3. (U) The Yogyakarta provincial government has also established a 
100-member Regional Oversight Body (Bawasda) responsible for 
internal government oversight and auditing.  The Yogyakarta Bawasda 
investigates any government contract over Rp 50 million ($5,556 USD; 
at Rp 9,000/USD) and leads other internal government audits at the 
regional level.  The Bawasda coordinates with the District 
Attorney's Office to investigate and prosecute any possible cases. 
While these accountability institutions are commendable in theory, 
it is too soon to tell what their long-term effect will be. 
 
District Attorney: All Power in Jakarta 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) The Yogyakarta District Attorney's Special Crimes Unit is 
responsible for anti-corruption cases at the provincial level.  From 
January to September 2007, the Special Crimes Unit has investigated 
fifteen cases and prosecuted five.  Amirullah, head of the Special 
Crimes Unit, highlighted the recent arrest of the Sleman district 
education head on graft charges.  The Special Crimes Unit has 
prosecuted 68 cases since 2002. 
 
¶5. (SBU) While the statistics and anecdotal evidence of the Special 
Crimes Unit appear positive, the overall capacity and effectiveness 
of the Yogyakarta District Attorney's office to combat corruption is 
limited at best.  The Special Crimes Unit has three officials and 17 
administrative support staff.  Although the Special Crimes Unit has 
claimed to prosecute 20 local parliament (DPRD) officials, none have 
been jailed yet.  Similar to the regional courts, the the Attorney 
General's Office in Jakarta manages regional district attorney's 
offices closely, permitting little independence. 
 
Earthquake Assistance Not Immune to Corruption 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶6. (SBU) Yogyakarta civil society leaders estimated that up to 50% 
of earthquake assistance has been lost to "local wisdom," a 
euphemism for various forms of graft and corruption.  Depending on 
the level of damage to their homes, earthquake victims received Rp 
15 million ($1,667 USD), Rp 4 million ($444 USD), or Rp 1 million 
($111 USD).  Public associations (Pokmas) of 15 to 30 households 
distributed assistance to their communities.  Partnership for 
 
JAKARTA 00002875  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Governance Reform Regional Manager Idham Ibty and other civil 
society leaders said that this structure led to corruption by the 
Pokmas heads as well as local administrative staff, amounting to up 
to 50% of the earthquake assistance. 
 
Anti-Corruption's University Movement 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) We met with the leaders and staff of the Center for 
Anti-Corruption Studies (PUKAT), a non-governmental organization 
(NGO) involved in various public policy initiatives on 
anti-corruption (see septel).  Denny Indrayana, constitutional law 
professor at Gadjah Mada University and head of Indonesia Court 
Monitoring, leads PUKAT and its staff of Gadjah Mada students and 
lecturers.  Following an Indonesian university summit on 
anti-corruption in August 2005, Indrayana founded PUKAT as a model 
for future university involvement in reform efforts.  The goal is to 
develop similar civil society organizations in universities across 
Indonesia.  PUKAT has sponsored expert seminars, led public 
awareness campaigns, and provided analytical support to proposed 
draft laws related to anti-corruption. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Reflecting the view of the Judicial Monitoring Coalition, 
an anti-corruption NGO coalition to which PUKAT belongs, Indrayana 
said that Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissioner 
candidates with previous experience in the police or Attorney 
General's Office should be disqualified.  The KPK's legitimacy could 
be compromised by the negative, corrupt perceptions of these 
institutions and previous professional connections of commissioner 
candidates.  Indrayana argued that the KPK is not meant to be a 
representative body and does not need police or Attorney General 
personnel in the institution.  However, even more worrying to 
Indrayana is the Election Commission (KPU) commissioner selection 
process.  Regarding all of these issues, Indrayana regarded 
Parliament's Commission III - the Law, Security, and Human Rights 
Commission - as part of the problem, not the solution. 
 
HEFFERN