C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001532 SIPDIS DEPT FOR
TFGG01, EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EUR, EUR/RUS, EUR/CARC, IO, IO/UNP 
(MARIZ) E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2018 TAGS: PREL, UNSC, ID, GG, RS 
SUBJECT: TFGG01: URGING INDONESIAN SUPPORT ON GEORGIA SITUATION REF: 
STATE 86130 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). 

1. (C) SUMMARY: Per reftel, Mission has urged key Indonesian interlocutors 
to support the draft U.N. Security Council Resolution on the situation 
in Georgia. GOI officials agreed that the situation was very serious and
promised to work with us on the matter in New York. Mission has also 
reached out to a key legislator and a think-tank expert, urging that 
they work to publicize what is happening in Georgia. Mission is also 
coordinating with the British and French embassies. 

2. (C) SUMMARY 
(Con'd): So far, there is some local media coverage of Russia's actions,
but most Indonesians are not focused on the situation. Indonesians who 
are involved in international relations seem genuinely concerned by the 
sheer egregiousness of the Russian attack. END SUMMARY.

URGING GOI SUPPORT 

3. (C) Per reftel instruction, Mission has urged key Indonesian 
contacts in the President's Office and the Department of Foreign Affairs
(DEPLU) to support the draft UNSC resolution on the situation in 
Georgia. We underscored that the situation was extremely serious. There 
must be an immediate cease fire, a withdrawal of all Russian and 
Georgian forces to their pre-August 7 positions, international support 
for mediation and complete implementation of the 1994 Moscow agreement. 
UNSC members must stand firm in calling for an end to the conflict, even
in the face of a Russian veto. 

4. (C) The Ambassador reviewed key 
points with Presidential advisor Dino Djalal. Djalal took our points on 
board and said he would review the matter. 

5. (C) Poloff also discussed 
the situation with Riando Sembiring, Deputy Director for International 
Security and Disarmament Affairs at DEPLU. Sembiring agreed that the 
situation in Georgia was serious. He promised to review reftel points 
with other DEPLU officials and said the Indonesian Mission in New York 
looked forward to continuing to work with USUN on the matter.

PRESSING OTHER ANGLES 

6. (C) Pol/C also raised the issue with Theo Sambuaga, 
Chair of the national legislature's foreign affairs committee. Sambuaga 
agreed that the Russian invasion was "totally inappropriate" and called 
it a "blunt instrument." He promised to press the President's Office and
DEPLU to join the United States and other UNSC members in support of 
the resolution. Sambuaga also said he would speak to the media in order 
to educate the Indonesian public about the seriousness of the situation 
and the importance of Indonesian support for the resolution. 

7. (C) 
Poloff also discussed the situation in Georgia with Rizal Sukma, an 
influential foreign affairs expert at the Center for Strategic and 
International Studies (CSIS), Jakarta's leading think-tank. (Note: 
Although a non-governmental entity, CSIS experts often advise DEPLU on 
key international issues.) He said Indonesian experts were following the
matter and appreciated hearing USG views. He agreed that the situation 
was serious and that Indonesia should support UNSC efforts to end the 
conflict. Poloff urged Sukma to work to publicize the matter. (Note: 
Sukma often writes influential op-eds on foreign policy issues in the 
local papers.) 

8. (C) Finally, poloff compared notes with British and French

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Embassy colleagues. The British were 
pressing the issue with DEPLU interlocutors and had received back the 
same basically positive message as us. The French have not yet received 
instructions on the matter but would seek appropriate meetings once they
had.

NOT MUCH AWARENESS 

9. (C) So far, there is some local media 
coverage of the situation, but the vast majority of Indonesians are not 
focused on the situation. The small numbers of Indonesians who are 
involved in international relations seem genuinely concerned by the 
sheer egregiousness of the Russian attack. We think that the GOI will 
continue to be cooperative in New York.

HUME