VZCZCXRO5155
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0804/01 1130944
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 220944Z APR 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8779
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2378
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0923
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1783
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1863
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2572
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 2622
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 0734
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RULSAAV/NAVMEDRSCHCEN SILVER SPRING MD
RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHMFISS/BUMED WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000804 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/P, L, OES, G/AIAG 
NSC FOR E.PHU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR TBIO AMED ID
SUBJECT: U.S. NAVAL MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER DRAWS FURTHER 
CRITICISM, SCRUTINY 
 
REF: JAKARTA 740 (AND PREVIOUS) 
 
JAKARTA 00000804  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari paid a 
surprise visit to the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit in 
Jakarta (NAMRU-2) on Friday, April 18.  Although the visit 
went without serious incident, Supari escalated her criticism 
of NAMRU in subsequent media interviews.  Several legislators 
joined in the criticism and called for the lab's closure.  FM 
Wirajuda questioned granting diplomatic immunity to NAMRU 
personnel.  Mission will report septel the implications of 
this increasing criticism for the future of NAMRU's 
operations.  END SUMMARY. 
 
SURPRISE VISITOR 
 
¶2. (SBU) Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari made an 
unscheduled visit to NAMRU on Friday, April 18, with a TV 
crew and print reporters in tow.  She said her visit was to 
confirm that NAMRU was no longer conducting studies that 
involved the transfer of biological specimens.  (Note: The 
Ministry of Health on March 31 wrote to NAMRU ordering it to 
halt all studies/surveillance which included the transfer of 
biological specimens until the U.S. and Indonesian 
Governments agreed on a new MOU governing NAMRU's operations. 
 Reftels.) 
 
¶3. (SBU) After a brief delay--caused by Supari's unexpected 
arrival--she was escorted through the facility by two 
American staff.  She asked several of NAMRU's local staff 
whether NAMRU was still receiving biological samples.  All 
said that the facility had not received any samples since the 
Ministry had ordered Indonesian institutions to cease sharing 
samples with the lab. 
 
HER SIDE OF THE STORY 
 
¶4. (SBU) Heightened criticism of NAMRU came in the wake of 
Supari's visit.  In an interview published in the April 21 
edition of the Indonesian-language daily Koran Tempo, she 
criticized NAMRU for allegedly making her wait ten minutes 
before allowing her entry.  This was inappropriate, she 
charged, because the facility was on Ministry of Health land. 
 She also questioned the appropriateness of having the 
facility run by the U.S. military.  The TV crew that 
accompanied Supari subsequently produced a negative report on 
NAMRU's operations, which ran on a major national TV network. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Supari added more criticisms the following day.  She 
said the lab's operations must be more transparent and noted 
"I have no idea what NAMRU does."  Further, NAMRU had never 
reported the results of its research to the Indonesian 
Government, the minister asserted.  Finally, Supari argued 
that as malaria and dengue fever still affected Indonesia, 
NAMRU had not provided any concrete benefits to the 
Indonesian people.  That said, Supari held out the 
possibility that the GOI and USG could reach agreement on a 
new MOU as long as it was mutually beneficial to both 
countries. 
 
OTHER CRITICS PILE ON 
 
¶6. (SBU) Several members of the legislature (DPR) joined the 
fray.  Dr. Ribka Tjiptaning, Chair of the DPR's Commission IX 
responsible for health matters, called for NAMRU to be shut 
down.  Speaking to reporters, she attacked presidential 
advisor Dino Djalal for saying that the Indonesian Government 
still sought to reach agreement on a new MOU governing 
NAMRU's operations.  Indonesia did not need American 
assistance with health research, Tjiptaning claimed. 
 
 
JAKARTA 00000804  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) Other legislators made more sinister charges. 
Soeripto (one name only), Deputy Chair of DPR Commission III 
(law and human rights), claimed that NAMRU was a front for 
intelligence activities and also called for its closure. 
Yuddi Chrisnandi, a member of Commission I (foreign affairs, 
defense and intelligence) charged that the Indonesian 
Military (TNI) did not have sufficient control over NAMRU's 
operations.  TNI spokesman Colonel Ahmad Yani told the Indo 
Pos newspaper that NAMRU's operations were in the domain of 
the Ministry of Health. 
 
FM WEIGHS IN 
 
¶8. (SBU) Speaking to reporters on April 21, FM Wirajuda 
discounted the most sensational allegations and said he had 
no knowledge of NAMRU's involvement in intelligence 
activities.  However, he reportedly cast doubt on the need 
for NAMRU personnel to have diplomatic immunity.  Wirajuda 
argued, that "they constitute a research unit, not a 
diplomatic mission.  Therefore, we believe there is no need 
for immunity," according to press reports.  The FM echoed 
Supari's call for greater transparency.  He also said 
Indonesia was still open to negotiating a new MOU on NAMRU 
but noted that the USG had not yet responded to the draft 
text that the GOI had submitted for USG review in November, 
¶2007. 
 
HUME