VZCZCXRO4351
OO RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHJA #1612 2681017
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 251017Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3410
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 001612 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR CA, EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, EAP/PD, 
CA/VO/L/C 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL CVIS KISL KPAO ID
SUBJECT: VISA CLEARANCE NEEDED FOR NOTED INDONESIAN SCHOLAR 
 
¶1.  (U) This message is Sensitive but Unclassified; Please 
see Action Request in para 5. 
 
¶2.   (SBU) SUMMARY:  Mission requests the Department's urgent 
assistance in resolving visa clearance for a distinguished 
Indonesian scholar who hopes to travel to Northern Illinois 
University to receive an award for distinguished alumni. 
Indonesian President Yudhoyono has also asked Dr. Baswedan to 
join the President's meeting with U.S. scholars in Boston 
this weekend.  Dr. Baswedan, a friend of the U.S. and 
personally known by the Ambassador, is a well-known moderate 
Muslim who may be named Indonesia's next Minister of 
Education.  "Foreign Policy" recently named him as one of the 
top 100 public intellectuals in the world.  If his visa 
clearance continues to be held up, it will prove a serious 
embarrassment for the U.S.  END SUMMARY. 
 
URGENT ASSISTANCE NEEDED 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Mission requests the Department's urgent assistance 
in securing interagency SOA resolution for Dr. Baswedan, 
Anies Rasyid (Indonesian passport number B461837, DOB 
07-May-1969) to travel to Dekalb, Illinois, in order to 
receive a distinguished alumni award from Northern Illinois 
University.  Indonesian President Yudhoyono has also asked 
Dr. Baswedan to join the President's meeting with U.S. 
scholars in Boston this weekend.  With plans to depart 
Jakarta on September 26, Dr. Baswedan intends to stay in the 
United States for four days.  Mission understands that his 
namecheck resulted in a 00 hit and therefore a SAO Donkey was 
submitted for him. 
 
INDONESIA'S MOST PROMINENT MODERATE MUSLIM 
 
¶4.  (SBU) As one of Indonesia's best and brightest 
intellectuals, Mr. Baswedan was the main speaker at a recent 
Iftar (breaking fast) event hosted by the Ambassador at the 
EMR.  He is rector of the prestigious Paramadina University 
in Jakarta.   He has traveled repeatedly to the United 
States, most recently in 2007 on a J-1 visa.  He is a 
Fulbright alumnus and serves on the Fulbright Commission here 
in Jakarta.  In April 2008, he was named by "Foreign Policy" 
magazine as one of the top 100 public intellectuals in the 
world.  He has also been mentioned as being the next Minster 
of Education.  Baswedan is friendly to the U.S., both in 
private and in public remarks. 
 
NEED FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Jakarta/CONS has already requested expedited 
clearance by email to CA/VO/L/C which further explained the 
importance of Dr. Baswedan in furthering U.S. foreign policy 
objectives in Indonesia.  Mission seeks a response to this 
request as quickly as possible.  Without immediate action 
that results in Dr. Baswedan's visa clearance, this is a 
crisis foretold, and will prove to be a serious embarrassment 
for the U.S. and damaging to our interests. 
 
HUME