Indonesia wary about US sanctions proposal

Indonesia continued to question the United States’ proposed resolution to ask the United Nations to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe despite intense lobbying by Washington.

Indonesian Foreign Affairs official Imron Cotan told a United States embassy official in Jakarta that his country wanted to see the situation in Zimbabwe resolved peacefully and was reluctant to take any action that might upset ongoing negotiations between the government and the opposition.

The US embassy official had told Cotan that there was no meaningful dialogue between the government of Zimbabwe and the Movement for Democratic Change.

A strong resolution by the United Nations would therefore press the Mugabe regime to negotiate seriously.

The US had upped the pressure after President Robert Mugabe had gone on with the elections despite the pulling out of MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai a week before the elections because of increased violence.

The embassy official said Tsvangirai had written to the United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon expressing support for the draft resolution.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 08JAKARTA1337, ZIMBABWE — ENGAGING INDONESIA ON UNSC RESOLUTION

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

VZCZCXRO4742

OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHTRO

DE RUEHJA #1337 1930919

ZNY CCCCC ZZH

O 110919Z JUL 08

FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA

TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9508

INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE IMMEDIATE 0020

RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY

RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 5196

RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 2749

RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 2206

RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 2827

RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 2793

RUEHBAD/AMCONSUL PERTH 0944

RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 001337

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, AF, AF/S, IO, IO/UNP

(GOLDENBERG), IO/PSC (CLARK)

NSC FOR E.PHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/08/2018

TAGS: PREL UNSC ID ZI

SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE — ENGAGING INDONESIA ON UNSC RESOLUTION

REF: A. STATE 74375

¶B. JAKARTA 1322

Classified By: DCM John A. Heffern, reasons 1.4 (b+d)

¶1. (U) This message contains an action request. Please see

paragraph 4.

¶2. (C) SUMMARY: On July 11, the DCM delivered reftel

demarche to Secretary General Imron Cotan, the number-two

official at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU). Cotan

did not say how Indonesia would vote but repeated well-known

GOI views questioning the resolution. END SUMMARY.

¶3. (C) On July 11, the DCM delivered Ref A demarche urging

Indonesia to support the draft UNSCR on Zimbabwe to DEPLU

Secretary General Imron Cotan. The DCM underscored that

there had been no meaningful dialogue between the GOZ and the

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). A strong resolution

could press the Mugabe regime to negotiate seriously. The

DCM noted that MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai had written to UN

SYG Ban Ki-moon on July 9 and expressed support for the draft

resolution. Cotan said that Indonesia wanted to see the

situation resolved peacefully and was reluctant to take any

action that might upset ongoing negotiations between the GOZ

and the opposition. He admitted, however, that he was

unaware of Tsvangiri’s letter to SYG Ban.

¶4. (C) Cotan also questioned whether the situation in

Zimbabwe was a threat to regional security and therefore an

appropriate target for a resolution under Chapter VII of the

UN Charter. The DCM responded that the situation in Zimbabwe

did constitute a threat to the security of the southern

Africa region. He noted that the violence directed at

opposition supporters had forced Zimbabweans to flee to

neighboring countries, several of which had expressed concern

about the destabilizing influence of the situation. He noted

that one of the UNSC’s two African members–Burkina Faso–had

expressed support for the resolution. Cotan said that the

GOI would consider USG views as it decided how to vote on the

Zimbabwe resolution.

¶5. (U) ACTION REQUEST: Cotan was unaware of the letter from

Tsvangirai to SYG Ban and was interested in the matter.

Mission recommends that the letter be raised directly with

the Indonesian Mission in New York. END ACTION REQUEST.

HUME

(24 VIEWS)