VZCZCXRO8049
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0306 0451055
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141055Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8000
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4724
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2005
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1584
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 3667
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1522
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 0571
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000306 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL/AWH, DRL/IRF 
NSC FOR EPHU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KIRF SOCI LOVE ID
SUBJECT: THERE WILL BE NO VALENTINE'S DAY IN BUKITTINGGI 
 
 
¶1.  (U) This message was coordinated with Consulate Medan. 
 
¶2.  (U) SUMMARY:  A controversy has erupted over Valentine's 
Day in West Sumatra.  The Mayor of Bukittinggi--the 
second-largest city in the province--has banned Valentine's 
Day celebrations, asserting they are "immoral."  The Governor 
of West Sumatra--taking a firm stand for romance--countered 
the ban, however, telling the press that there would be no 
interference with celebrations of the holiday.  The Mayor's 
attitude is not widely shared in Indonesia--where many 
non-Islamic and non-indigenous holidays are celebrated 
openly.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (U) DOWN WITH LOVE:  Valentine's Day has taken a hit in 
West Sumatra.  The Mayor of Bukittinggi, a city of 100,000 
known for volcanic mountain views and located in the heart of 
the matriarchal Minangkabau region, has declared that 
Valentine's Day celebrations should be banned because they 
are not in line with local culture or Islam. 
 
¶4.  (U) According to press reports, a number of government 
permits already issued for Valentine's Day activities have 
been revoked by City Hall.  The same reports said the Mayor 
intended to use existing regulations on "immoral act 
eradication" to prosecute enterprises and anyone else that 
celebrated the day.  The Mayor also was quoted as stating 
that 100 additional "public order security officers" would 
monitor hotels, cafes and restaurants for "illicit behavior." 
 Swinging for the fences, the Mayor also came out against New 
Year's Eve celebrations. 
 
¶5.  (U) The controversy over Valentine's Day in Sumatra is 
not wholly new; it has flared a bit in the past, but is more 
intense in Bukittinggi this year.  Traditionally, the holiday 
has been celebrated at many retail locations in the 
area--much as it is in urban centers across Indonesia, 
including Jakarta.  In Bukittinggi, the recent exposure of 
what the press reported as "pornographic images" of teenagers 
circulated on cell phones triggered the outcry, according to 
one contact.  Sofyan Karim, former regional chief of 
Muhammadiyah (a well-known national Muslim organization) in 
West Sumatra, told Pol FSN that the city's ban was "not 
against Valentine's Day but opposed to the behavior of some 
teenagers at Valentine's Day events, including kissing and 
drinking alcohol." 
 
¶6.  (U) CUPID'S COMEBACK:  West Sumatra Governor Gumawan 
publicly waded into the Valentine's debate to present a 
moderate view.  He told the press that no one should have 
problems with Valentine's Day because Muslims always show 
affection to everyone.  He specifically stated that his 
government would not ban Valentine's Day events and would 
make no effort to monitor or otherwise interfere with them. 
 
¶7.  (U) He also made a point of saying that the provincial 
ulamas (Islamic clerics) council did not officially declare 
Valentine's Day as "haram" (heretical), as was reported by 
the press.  In Jakarta, Ma'aruf Amin, head of the MUI fatwa 
committee, confirmed to us that in fact there was no specific 
MUI edict against Valentine's Day.  Amin, however, condemned 
the use of alcohol and other "immoral behaviors" that he said 
often accompanied Valentine's Day celebrations. 
 
¶8.  (U) ROSES STILL WELCOME:  Valentine's Day seems safe in 
most of Indonesia.  And, based on what we picked up, 
Valentine's Day celebrations are even taking place in 
Bukittinggi despite the municipal warnings.  Nonetheless, 
sadly, the outcry reportedly put a damper on celebrations 
there.  In terms of the larger picture, Indonesians sometimes 
face differences between government leaders influenced by 
conservative versus moderate religious perspectives--and this 
type of societal debate bubbles up now-and-then. 
 
 
HEFFERN