VZCZCXYZ0005
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJA #0995/01 1400916
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 190916Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9044
INFO RUEAWJB/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000995 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR CA/ACS/OCS/EAP, EAP/MTS, DS/IP/EAP, DS/ITA/EAP 
and DS/DSS/OSAC Carrington 
DOJ FOR AAG SCHWARTZ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC AEMR ASEC PREL AMGT ID
SUBJECT: LIFTING THE TRAVEL WARNING FOR INDONESIA: MAKING 
OUR PUBLIC MESSAGE CONSISTENT 
 
REF: Jakarta 955 
 
¶1. (SBU) Per reftel, the Embassy would like to propose 
new language to Country Specific Information (CSI) and 
the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) Crime and 
Safety Report.  The suggested language is designed to 
ensure that the security language in all our public 
documents is consistent.  We recommend that these changes 
become effective simultaneously with the lifting of the 
travel warning for Indonesia (possibly during the June 8- 
9 visit of Attorney General Mukasey). 
 
¶2. (SBU) DRAFT LANGUAGE FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY 
SECTION OF THE COUNTRY SPECIFIC INFORMATION (CSI) 
 
COUNTRY SPECIFIC INFORMATION 
 
SAFETY AND SECURITY:  Before October 2005, there were 
several terrorist attacks in Indonesia with the most 
recent occurring over two and a half years ago at a 
beachfront restaurant in Bali that resulted in the deaths 
of 20 people.  Since 2005, the Indonesian police and 
security forces have disrupted a number of cells and 
arrested approximately 400 suspects linked with Jemaah 
Islamiyah (JI), a U.S. Department of State-designated 
terrorist organization.  While Indonesia?s 
counterterrorism efforts have been impressive, the threat 
remains.  As with most parts of the world, a terrorist 
attack could occur with little or no warning.  We have to 
assume that JI networks and ?sleeper? cells remain intact 
and have the capacity to go operational with little 
warning. 
 
There remains a continued threat of terrorist attacks, 
demonstrations and other violent actions against U.S. 
citizens and interests overseas including Indonesia. 
Extremists may target both official and private 
interests.  Examples of such targets include high-profile 
sporting events, residential areas, business offices, 
hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, 
public areas and locales where Americans or foreigners 
gather in large numbers.  The Department of State urges 
Americans in Indonesia to avoid crowds, maintain a low 
profile, and be vigilant about security at all times. 
Americans are advised to monitor local news broadcasts, 
vary their routes and times in carrying out daily 
activities, and consider the level of preventive security 
when visiting public places in Indonesia.  Americans 
vacationing in Indonesia are advised to consider the 
level of preventive security when choosing hotels, 
restaurants, beaches, entertainment venues, and 
recreation sites. 
 
The U.S. Mission in Indonesia must approve U.S. 
government employees? travel to the province of Papua and 
travelers to that region must also obtain the approval of 
the Indonesia government.  Even though other areas of 
Indonesia are not under any type of official U.S. 
government travel restriction, the U.S. Mission requests 
that official U.S. government employees inform the 
Regional Security Officer of their intent to travel to 
the provinces of Bandeh Aceh, Central Sulawesi and 
Maluku. 
 
American travelers and American residents are urged to 
update their passports and important personal papers in 
case it becomes necessary to depart Indonesia quickly. 
Travel distances, poor communications, and an inadequate 
health care infrastructure make it extremely difficult 
for the Embassy to respond to U.S. citizen emergencies. 
Many parts of Indonesia (including many tourist 
destinations) are isolated and difficult to reach or 
contact. 
 
For the latest security information, Americans traveling 
abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State, 
Bureau of Consular Affair?s Internet site at 
http://travel.state.gov, where the current Travel 
Warnings and Public Announcements, including the 
Worldwide Caution, can be found.   Up-to-date information 
on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1- 
888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or for 
callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line 
at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 
a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday 
(except U.S. federal holidays). 
 
The Department of State urges American citizens to take 
responsibility for their own personal security while 
traveling overseas. For general information about 
appropriate measures travelers can take to protect 
themselves in an overseas environment, see the Department 
of State?s pamphlet A Safe Trip Abroad, which can be 
found on-line at 
http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/ 
safety_1747.html. 
 
¶3. (SBU) DRAFT LANGUAGE FOR THE POLITICAL VIOLENCE 
SECTION OF THE OVERSEAS SAFETY ADVISORY COUNCIL (OSAC) 
CRIME AND SAFETY REPORT 
 
Political Violence 
 
According to the most recent Worldwide Caution issued by 
the State Department on January 17, 2008, there remains a 
?continued threat of terrorist attacks, demonstrations 
and other violent actions against U.S. citizens and 
interests overseas,? including Indonesia.  Indonesia is 
an enormous and populous country with 240 million 
inhabitants spread out over an archipelago consisting of 
over 17,000 islands.  Given its size and population, it 
is not surprising that there is always the potential for 
political violence and civil unrest due to ethnic, 
sectarian, religious, and separatist reasons.  The 
security situation in Central Sulawesi is unsettled and 
remains an area where religious and ethnic violence is 
always possible.  A small but persistent separatist 
movement in Papua is also an area of concern.  The Maluku 
Islands, certain areas of Kalimantan and Bandeh Aceh, 
also have the potential for civil unrest and political 
violence due to ethnic, religious, and cultural reasons. 
Travel to those areas by embassy employees requires 
notifying the RSO. 
 
Indonesia has not had a major terrorist incident since 
October 2005.  Past attacks in Jakarta and Bali are well 
known and the fact that there have been no major 
terrorist incidents during the past two years is 
impressive.  Recently, the United Nations Conference of 
Parties (COP-13) on climate change was held in Bali. 
Thousands of delegates from all over the world and 
numerous world leaders descended on Bali for this 
important conference.  A major concern was the threat of 
a terrorist attack.  However, the Indonesian Security 
Forces, through extensive planning and dedication of 
resources, provided a safe and secure environment for an 
incident-free conference. 
 
Radical groups in Indonesia have had their ability to 
carry out large attacks further diminished during the 
past year due to the Indonesian government?s impressive 
counterterrorism efforts.  The Indonesian National Police 
(INP) scored major successes in breaking up terrorist 
cells linked to Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and other violent 
Islamic extremist organizations.  The government of 
Indonesia (GOI) Attorney General?s office has also made 
some significant strides toward conducting more efficient 
and effective counterterrorism prosecutions despite 
weaknesses in Indonesia?s anti-terror laws. 
 
The newly-formed Attorney General?s Task Force on 
Terrorism and Transnational Crime took the leading role 
in handling the prosecutions of terrorists and won 
several convictions.  Other Indonesian legal institutions 
also took a hard line against terrorists.  The Supreme 
Court rejected two appeals of the three men on death row 
for carrying out the 2002 Bali bombings.  These men will 
be executed sometime in the near future and the Embassy 
is closely monitoring what the reaction of the Indonesian 
public will be.  Additionally, the court upheld the life 
sentence imposed on JI member Subur Sugiyarto.  The 
Ministry of Law and Human Rights announced that convicted 
terrorists would no longer be given automatic sentence 
remissions on major holidays.  The GOI also made progress 
to develop an effective anti-money laundering system for 
investigations and prosecutions and froze terrorist 
financial assets uncovered in investigations. 
 
While Indonesia?s counterterrorism efforts have been 
impressive, the threat remains.  As with most parts of 
the world, a terrorist attack could occur with little or 
no warning.  We have to assume that JI networks and 
?sleeper? cells remain intact and have the capacity to go 
operational with little warning.  Moreover, Malaysian JI 
 
operative and recruiter Noordin Mohammed Top remains at 
large, despite his suspected involvement in nearly every 
major terrorist attack in Indonesia since 2002.  However, 
the Indonesian security forces have proven their ability 
to effectively counter the threat and are the main reason 
there has not been a successful terrorist attack in 
Indonesia since October of 2005. 
 
HEFFERN