Cablegate: Indonesia Still Likely to Support Oic in Un

VZCZCXRO6211
OO RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHJA #1982 3370941
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 030941Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3995
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 8039
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1146
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 001982

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, IO, IO/HR
(A.OSTERMEIER/C. NEVILLE), DRL/IRF (J. MORALES/N. BADAT),
NSC FOR D. WALTON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KISL UN ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA STILL LIKELY TO SUPPORT OIC IN UN
DEFAMATION OF RELIGION VOTE

REF: SECSTATE 122637

1. (SBU) This message is sensitive but unclassified. Please
handle accordingly.

2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Mission urged Indonesian Department of
Foreign Affairs interlocutors to vote no or abstain from
the December vote on the draft UN resolution on defamation of
religion. Our interlocutors indicated that while Indonesia
shares the U.S. concern for the freedom of expression, it
has to be "responsible." They noted that Indonesia was
likely to continue to join the Organization of the Islamic
Conference (OIC) consensus and vote in favor of the
resolution. Nonetheless, they said that Indonesia remains
open to constructive dialogue on how to improve the
resolution and reduce religious intolerance. END SUMMARY.

DELIVERING USG POINTS

3. (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel demarche regarding the
draft convention on religion under consideration in the UN
Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to Diana Sutikno, Deputy
Director for Human Rights at the Department of Foreign
Affairs on December 2 and shared the USG draft Action Plan
and non-paper with Ms. Sutikno and her colleague Dicky
Komar, Deputy Director of Civil and Political Rights. Poloff
underscored that the draft convention would justify
censorship and other restrictions on freedom of expression
and asked that Indonesia vote no or abstain from the vote
on defamation of religion.

PROPOSING AN ALTERNATIVE

4. (SBU) Poloff explained that the USG understood and shared
Indonesia's concerns about discrimination and bias-inspired
violence.
The United States and other like-minded countries had
proposed a draft Plan of Action outlining positive steps
that governments could take to address those issues. She
urged Indonesia to support that effort.

INDONESIA STILL LIKELY TO VOTE WITH OIC

5. (SBU) Sutikno took our message on board. She expressed
Indonesia's support of the USG's decision to re-engage with
the UNHRC. She also noted that the door was not closed for
improving the OIC-sponsored resolution. However, she
clarified that while freedom of expression was important, it
must be used responsibly and not incite the public to
violence. Although she is looking forward to more
constructive dialogue on how to bridge the gap between OIC
and US positions, she stated frankly that Indonesia would
probably again vote with the OIC on the resolution.
HUME

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