O 300901Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1343
INFO DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 
AMEMBASSY DHAKA 
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 
NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000159 
 
 
DEPT FOR DRL/ILCSR MMITTELHAUSER, G/TIP FOR SSTEINER, EAP/MTS, 
EAP/MLS 
DEPT OF LABOR/ILAB RRIGBY, BSASSER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL ELAB KTIP ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA - DOL DRAFT LIST RE TRAFFICKING (TVPRA) 
 
REF: A) STATE 43120 
     B) 08 JAKARTA 1097 
     C) 08 JAKARTA 1057 
 
¶1.  (U) This message was coordinated with Consulate General Surabaya 
and Consulate Medan. 
 
¶2.  (U) SUMMARY:  Mission appreciates the opportunity to comment on 
the Department of Labor's draft Trafficking Victims Protection 
Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) Report.  We request further information 
on how the draft list of Indonesian goods produced by child labor 
was determined, including the documentation used in the assessment. 
We also provide more contextual information on the production 
process.  We believe that the incidence, severity and evidence of 
child labor in Indonesia for the three goods proposed in the draft 
TVPRA do not justify a listing.  We furthermore believe that such a 
listing would be counter-productive to the solid cooperation we 
enjoy with Indonesians--and the progress they have made already--in 
preventing the Worst Forms of Child Labor (WFCL). 
END SUMMARY. 
 
ANALYZING THREE CATEGORIES 
 
¶3.  (U) Ref A listed three products as using child labor in 
Indonesia:  footwear; tobacco; and, gold.  The following provides 
Mission's analysis for child labor in these three industries. 
 
WEST JAVA SANDAL PRODUCTION 
 
¶4.  (U) Mission reported on the manufacturing of women's shoes and 
sandals in the cottage shoe industry in Ciomas Regency (district), 
West Java (refs B and C).  We sourced a 2008 report by a local Non 
Government Organization (NGO) Elsppat which had conducted research 
for the International Labor Organization (ILO).  Elsppat credibly 
documented about 600 children age 14 and up working under WFCL 
conditions.  Labatt also visited Ciomas to interview children and 
families employed in this cottage industry. 
 
¶5.  (U) The incidence appeared to be limited to this one community 
producing what apparently are local or counterfeit labels for small 
shops in Indonesia.  We have no evidence of purchases by major 
companies.  Children employed in this cottage industry were aged 
14-17, mostly from the same area of Ciomas, working for their own 
families or neighbors. 
 
CONCERTED ONGOING EFFORTS 
 
¶6.  (U) As a result of work by the ILO and Elsppat, the local 
community has been proactive in improving working conditions for 
children and eliminating WFCL in this industry.  These efforts have 
resulted in some villages in this regency no longer employing child 
labor and others implementing healthier work conditions.  Elsppat 
also has set up healthier industries for youth such as sewing and 
income-producing enterprises for adults to reduce the pressure for 
children to work.   Increased spending on education by the GOI also 
has helped children stay in school.  Finally, ILO and Elsppat have 
received good cooperation from local government officials to reduce 
child labor in Ciomas and these efforts are on-going.  Much work 
still needs to be done but there has been good progress over the 
past two years. 
 
¶7.  (U) Mission suggests that given the isolated incidence of this 
problem and ongoing efforts to combat it, an effective way forward 
would be to continue to work with the community and local government 
to step up efforts, including an awareness campaign among the small 
wholesale buyers and retailers.  Listing this product at a time when 
efforts have begun to deal with the problem in earnest would be 
unproductive. 
 
PROGRESS RE TOBACCO INDUSTRY 
 
¶8.  (U) Mission also reported isolated incidences of the use of 
child labor in tobacco growing and processing in North Sumatra and 
East Java (Ref B).  In North Sumatra, a 2004 ILO study documented 
seasonal child labor under WFCL conditions on several tobacco 
plantations.  In 2008, however, Consulate Medan interviewed reliable 
NGOs and personally visited one of these plantations, finding that 
children were no longer employed. 
 
¶9.  (U) This progress could be the result of ILO working with the 
local government and communities to reduce WFCL.  It also might be 
due to awareness by European buyers, following the ILO report, which 
may have resulted in closing or partial closing of the European 
market for North Sumatra tobacco using child labor.  ILO could not 
produce any recent evidence that child labor persisted in North 
Sumatran tobacco plantations. 
 
¶10.  (U) Separately, a 2006 ILO-IPEC study documented seasonal use 
of children in conditions of WFCL helping their families in tobacco 
production in Jember District, East Java.  ConGen Surabaya also 
researched this matter in 2008.  About 86 percent of the children 
were age 15 or older.  Incidence was limited to that one district. 
 
¶11.  (U) However, ILO also reported that while this type of seasonal 
use of child labor persists, ILO and a local NGO have successfully 
worked with the local government and communities to significantly 
reduce the practice over the past 10 years.  Efforts have included 
awareness programs by the local government and promotion of 
compulsory schooling for children. 
 
¶12.  (U) Given the limited incidence of WFCL in the tobacco industry 
and demonstrated success by the government and communities to 
eliminate the practice, we see little value in listing this product 
in the TVPRA at this point.  Rather, we should continue to work with 
ILO and local NGOs to monitor the situation and assist with further 
action where needed. 
 
GOLD INDUSTRY REPORTS UNSUBSTANTIATED 
 
¶13.  (U) Mission has cited unsubstantiated reports from local NGOs 
about exploitation of child labor in gold mining (ref B).  We have 
yet to receive any reliable corroborating information and therefore 
recommend gold not be listed.  Mission is interested in receiving 
and investigating any credible reports which DOL might have received 
on this. 
 
WORKING CLOSELY 
 
¶14.  (U) Mission looks forward to working with DOL on clarifying the 
use of child labor for the three products listed in this draft.  We 
furthermore would like to discuss programs we could pursue to 
address the situations and their complexities. 
 
HUME