VZCZCXRO9654
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0740 1020819
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 110819Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8676
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2324
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0913
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1752
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1811
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2536
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 2590
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 0702
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RULSAAV/NAVMEDRSCHCEN SILVER SPRING MD
RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHMFISS/BUMED WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000740 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/P, L, OES 
NSC FOR E.PHU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR TBIO AMED ID
SUBJECT: U.S. NAVAL MEDICAL RESEARCH UNIT GETS MEDIA 
ATTENTION 
 
REF: A. JAKARTA 673 
     ¶B. 07 JAKARTA 3262 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1.  (U) This message--which is Sensitive but 
Unclassified--contains an Action Request.  Please see paras 
 
SIPDIS 
5-6. 
 
¶2.   (SBU) PRESS STORY:  A major Indonesian newspaper 
reported on April 10 that the GOI had closed the U.S. Naval 
Medical Research Unit in Jakarta (NAMRU-2).  In fact, the 
facility remains in operation--see below.  The article, which 
appeared in the online version of the Indonesian language 
daily Sinar Harapan, cited a March 31 letter from the 
Ministry of Health (MOH) to NAMRU-2 instructing NAMRU to 
cease all studies involving specimens collected in Indonesia 
(ref a). 
 
¶3.   (U) The article quoted an MOH official as linking the 
GOI's decision to shut the facility to "the failure" of the 
USG and the GOI to conclude a new MOU relating to its 
operations.  The story also cited anonymous sources who 
implied that the action was being taken to protect "the 
health" of Indonesians, and repeated previously aired 
assertions by some GOI officials that NAMRU-2 was sending 
specimens to the U.S. for malign purposes. 
 
¶4.   (SBU) BACKGROUND:  The March 31 letter to the USG, which 
was signed by the MOH's Director of the National Institute of 
Health Research and Development, did not in fact shut NAMRU-2 
down as reported.  It did, however, further restrict 
NAMRU-2's ability to operate in Indonesia (ref a).  That 
said, NAMRU-2 remains in operation. 
 
¶5.   (SBU) REQUESTED ACTION:  The press story, which already 
has been picked up by foreign news services, means the MOH 
decision is beginning to become public knowledge.  So far, we 
have not been asked about the story, though we are preparing 
press guidance, which we plan to send to EAP/MTS and EAP/P. 
The publicity will likely only further confuse the public 
about NAMRU's purpose. 
¶Q.   (SBU) It is Mission's understanding that moderate 
elements within the GOI continue to support the negotiations 
for a new MOU as a means of placing this cooperation on a 
firmer basis.  We repeat our ref A request that Washington 
conclude the inter-agency review of the current 
Indonesia-proposed MOU text and Mission's comments (ref b), 
so that Mission can resume negotiations with the GOI on this 
matter before it becomes even more of a potential political 
football. 
 
 
HUME