VZCZCXRO2534
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1319 1910608
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 090608Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9483
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2732
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2190
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2812
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4718
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5194
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1976
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 0937
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 2786
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 001319 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP (SHEIVES), EAP/MLS 
NSC FOR E.PHU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL EAID MARR ASEAN ID
SUBJECT: ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM -- GOI ON REGIONAL DISASTER 
PREPAREDNESS 
 
REF: STATE 61440 
 
¶1.   (U) This message is Sensitive but Unclassified -- Please 
handle accordingly. 
 
¶2.   (SBU) SUMMARY:  Poloff reviewed reftel proposal on 
regional disaster preparedness with the Indonesian Foreign 
Ministry (DEPLU).  Mission also reviewed U.S. points with the 
ASEAN Secretariat.  DEPLU officials responded positively, but 
suggested that the USG take the lead in moving the matter 
forward.  ASEAN Secretariat officials said they needed to 
review the proposal with Secretary General Surin before 
formally responding.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.   (SBU) In discussions with officials at the Department of 
Foreign Affairs (DEPLU), poloff reviewed reftel points, 
conveying the need for the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) to 
develop a capability for responding to natural disasters.  He 
suggested that an ASEAN country consider taking the lead in 
drafting a statement. 
 
¶4.   (SBU) M. Aji Surya, Deputy Director for Intra-Regional 
Cooperation at DEPLU, said an initial review of the matter 
with DEPLU colleagues showed support for the idea and its 
main components.  A more thorough review within DEPLU and 
with other agencies would need to occur once a more detailed 
proposal had been fleshed out.  Aji said Indonesia was unable 
to undertake the drafting of the proposal, given other 
priorities in the near future. 
 
¶5.   (SBU) Aji asked whether Washington intended the proposed 
matter to be approved at the upcoming Ministerial Meeting in 
July or at a subsequent one.  The usual process, he noted, 
was to launch a proposal in the Intersessional Group on 
Confidence Building Measures (ISG CBM) and to refine it at a 
subsequent Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) before seeking the 
approval of ministers.  He requested clarification on the 
intended timeline in this case.  Poloff noted that we hoped 
that this proposal could be reviewed carefully and moved 
forward by ARF as soon as possible. 
 
¶6.   (SBU) Mission also conveyed reftel points to the ASEAN 
Secretariat.  Secretariat officials said they needed to 
review the proposal with Secretary General Surin before 
formally responding.  Mission, however, recently was informed 
that a proposed ARF statement on regional disaster 
preparedness that was circulated at an ASEAN Working Group 
meeting in Pattaya, Thailand was very similar to the document 
that the USG had passed to the Secretariat in early June. 
 
 
HUME