Ell UNCLASSIFIED PTQ8854 RELEASED IN PART Bl 1 4 D CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 01 ACTION EAP-01 JAKART 02752 01 OF 02 PTQ8854 171230Z ACDA-08 ACDE-OO AID-OO AIT-03 AMAD-01 ClAE-OO SMEC-OO DINT-OO DODE-OO DOEE-OO EB-OO ED-01 FBIE-OO FRB-OO HHS-01 SSA-01 TEDE-OO INR-OO IO-OO LAB-01 NSAE-OO NSCE-OO OCS-03 OIC-02 OMB-01 PM-OO SP-OO PRS-OO P-OO CIO-OO STR-OO T-OO DSCC-OO USIE-OO PMB-OO G-OO NFAT-OO SAS-OO 035W ------------------3ED19A 171231Z 38 o 171228Z MAY 98 FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1581 DEPTTREAS WASHDC INFO AMEMBASSY BEIJING ASEAN COLLECTIVE AMEMBASSY TOKYO AMEMBASSY CANBERRA AIT TAIPEI 0703 USMISSION GENEVA AMEMBASSY TOKYO USDOC WASHDC USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI AMCONSUL SURABAYA INFO LOG-OO CA-02 DS-OO IM-01 ADS-OO PA-OO SS-OO DRL-04 CON F IDE N T I A 'L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002752 CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 JAKART 02752 01 OF 02 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY CHARLES E LAIllGUERA CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL REASON 1 4 D DECLASSIFY AFTER 10 OCT 2020 DATE CASE ID 06 DEC 2006 200503180 171230Z UNCLASSIFIED ACQ-01 SRPP-OO H-01 L-01 OPIC-01 SSO-OO PRM-01 UNCLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT FOR TFID01 S S-O OPERATIONS CENTER FOR FINANCIAL CRISIS WORKIN GROUP CINCPAC FOR FPA TEARE STATE FOR EAP PIMBS EB OMA AND INR IL E O 12958 D CL 5 08 2008 TAGS PGOV PHUM SOCI SCUL CASC PINR ID SUBJECT TFID01 SHIFTS IN SENIOR MILITARY AND CIVILIAN CABINET POSITIONS 5 17 1 U CLASSIFIED BY POLCOUNS ED MCWILLIAMS REASON 1 5 D 2 C SUMMARY THE ARMED FORCES MET ON THE MORNING OF MAY 17 TO RESOLVE TENSIONS BETWEEN THE FACTIONS LED BY DEFENSE MINISTER CINC WIRANTO AND STRATEGIC RESERVE COMMANDER PRABOWO ACCORDING TO A SENIOR GOLKAR FIGURE TH SOURCES SAID THAT ABRI WAS FACED WITH TWO ALTERNATIVES TO BROADEN WIRANTO' S MANDATE UNCLEAR EXACTLY HOW OR TO CHOOSE A NEW COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF WHO WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO BOTH FACTIONS BY THE AFTERNOON OF MAY 17 LOCAL JOURNALISTS WERE REPORTING THAT WIRANTO HAD BEEN REMOVED AS CINC BUT WOULD RETAIN HIS DEFENSE MINISTER PORTFOLIO THERE ' ARE ALSO INCREASINGLY RELIABLE REPORTS THAT A POWERFUL INTERNAL SECURITY AGENCY WOULD BE RE-CREATED POSSIBLY UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF PRABOWO WE HAVE HEARD THAT THE CABINET RESHUFFLE COULD BE ANNOUNCED ON THE MORNING OF MAY 18 THE ARMED FORCES AND AN ELITE MUSLIM ORGANIZATION ICMI 'APPEAR TO AGREE THAT THE PRESIDENT'S ELDEST DAUGHTER TUTUT CRONY BOB HASAN AND RETIRED GENERAL HARTONO SHOULD BE REPLACED WE HAVE ALSO HEARD THAT ICMI CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 JAKART 02752 01 OF 02 171230Z ACTIVISTS ADI SASONO AMIEN RAIS AND NURCHOLISH MADJID HAVE BEEN 9FFERED SPOTS IN THE CABINET BUT THAT ICMI TURNED THE DEAL DOWN BECAUSE OF OBJECTIONS FROM RAIS REPLACEMENT OF COMMANDER IN CHIEF 3 C A SENIOR GOLKAR FIGURE I ITOLD POL OFF MAY 17 THAT ABRI MET ON THE MORNING OF MAY 17 TO RESOLVE TENSIONS WITHIN ABRI OVER RIVAL PRABOWO AND WIRANTO FACTIONS THE SOURCE UNCLASSIFIED Bl UNCLASSIFIED SAID THAT ABRI WAS FACED WITH TWO ALTERNATIVES ' TO BROADEN WIRANTO'S MANDATE IN ORDER TO END FACTIONALISM WITHIN ABRI UNCLEAR EXACTLY HOW OR TO CHOOSE A NEW COMMANDER IN CHIEF WHO WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO BOTH FACTIONS LOCAL JOURNALIST SOURCES REPORT AS OF LATE MAY 17 THAT WIRANTO HAS BEEN REMOVED AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF BUT THAT HE RETAINS HIS POSITION AS MINISTER OF DEFENSE A SOURCE WITH CLOSE TIES TO THE ARMED FORCES REPORTED THAT THE ABRI LEADERSHIP ISSUE WOULD BE RESOLVED WHEN SOEHARTO ANNOUNCED THE CABINET RESHUFFLE WHICH COULD COME AS EARLY AS THE MORNING OF MONDAY MAY 18 CABINET RESHUFFLE 4 eC THE SENIOR GOLKAR SOURCE ALSO NOTED THAT MINISTER OF TOURISM ARTS AND CULTURE ABDUL LATIEF RESIGNED MAY 17 LATIEF WAS ONE OF EIGHT CURRENT CABINET MEMBERS THAT ABRI SUPPOSEDLY WANTED PURGED ACCORDING TO DIPLOMATS IN ADDITION TO LATIEF THEY INCLUDED MINISTER OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS SITI RUKMANA HARDIYANTI TUTUT THE PRESIDENT'S ELDEST DAUGHTER MINISTER OF TRADE BOB HASAN MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS HARTONO MINISTER OF EDUCATION WIRANTO ARISMUNANDAR STATE MINISTER FOR FOOD DRUGS AND HORTICULTURE HARYANTO DHANUTIRTO AND MINISTER OF INFORMATION CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 JAKART 02752 01 OF 02 171230Z ALWI DAHLAN ANOTHER SOURCE REPORTED THAT UP TO 20 MEMBERS COULD BE REPLACED AND THAT IT WAS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT SOME WOULD SIMPLY SWITCH MINISTRIES 5 U SOEHARTO' S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT HE WAS PREPARED TO RESHUFFLE HIS CABINET CREATED SCANT ENTHUSIASM IN MOST POLITICAL CIRCLES FORMER ENVIRONMENT MINISTER SARWONO SAID PUBLICLY THAT HE WAS NOT IMPRESSED SOEHARTO SHOULD HAVE ANNOUNCED A GOOD CABINET FROM THE BEGINNING THIS MOVE WOULD NOT SOLVE ANY PROBLEMS HE RECOMMENDED THAT SOEHARTO STEP DOWN INSTEAD SAYING AS A FORMER AIDE OF HIS I WILL BE SAD AND I PITY HIM IF HE STAYS FOR HIS OWN INTERESTS BECAUSE WE ALREADY KNOW THAT HE'S INCREASINGLY BECOMING PART OF THE PROBLEM FORMER MINISTER FRANS SEDA SAID IJ IT'S TOO LITTLE TOO LATE AND ANOTHER FORMER MINISTER SUBROTO SAID THAT AN ENTIRELY NEW GOVERNMENT INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT WAS NEEDED AMIEN RAIS SAID THAT A CABINET RESHUFFLE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WERE DEMANDING THAT SOEHARTO STEP DOWN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED -- -- I J TOLD POLOFF MAY 17 THAT MINISTER OF DEFENSE ARMED FORCES COMMANDER WlRANTO HAD BEEN PUT IN CHARGE OF THE CABINET RE-SHUFFLE I AND WAS PREPARED TO OFFER SPOTS TO THREE ICMI MEMBERS I SECRETARY GENERAL ADI SASONO I AMI EN RAIS I AND CONFIDENTIAL NNNNPTQ8855 CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 01 ACTION EAP-01 JAKART 02752 02 OF 02 PTQ8855 171231Z ACDA-08 ACDE-OO AID-OO AIT-03 AMAD-01 CIAE-OO DINT-OO ' DODE-OO DOEE-OO SRPP-OO HHS-01 H-01 ED-01 FBIE-OO FRB-OO INR-OO 10-00 LAB-01 L-01 ADS-OO OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-OO OCS-03 OIC-02 SP-OO P-OO CIO-OO SS-OO SSO-OO USIE-OO PMB-OO DSCC-OO PRM-01 DRL-04 SAS-OO 034W ------------------3ED19D 171231Z 38 o 171228Z MAY 98 FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1582 DEPTTREAS WASHOC INFO AMEMBASSY BEIJING ASEAN COLLECTIVE AMEMBASSY TOKYO AMEMBASSY CANBERRA INFO LOG-OO CA-02 EB-OO TEDE-OO NSCE-OO PRS-OO T-OO NFAT-OO UNCLASSIFIED ACQ-01 DS-OO SSA-01 NSAE-OO PM-OO STR-OO G-OO Bl UNCLASSIFIED AIT TAIPEI 0704 USMISSI ON GE'NEA AMEMBASSY TOKYO UDOC WASHOC USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI AMCONSUL SURABAYA CON F IDE N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 JAKARTA 002752 CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 JAKART DEPARTMENT FOR TFID01 S S-O OPERATIONS 02752 CENTE 02 OF 02 171231Z FOR FINANCIAL CRISIS WORKING GROUP CINCPAC FOR FPA TEARE STATE FOR EAP PIMBS EB OMA AND INR IL E O 12958 DECL 5 08 2008 TAGS PGOV PHUM SOCI SCUL CASC PINR ID SUBJECT TFID01 SHIFTS IN SENIOR MILITARY AND CIVILIAN CABINET POSITIONS 5 17 NURCHOLISH MADJID ADI SASONO WAS ALSO TOLD HE COULD GIVE AS MUCH INPUT AS HE WANTED ON OTHER SPOTS IN ADDITION TO SEVERAL OF THE MEMBERS THAT BRI WAS TRYING TO HAVE REPLACED PARA 4 ICMI ALSO SOUGHT THE REMOVAL OF MINISTER OF FINANCE FUAD BAWAZIER 7 C SASONO WAS PREPARED TO TAKE THIS DEAL ACCORDING TO THIS SOURCE AS A WAY TO ACHIEVE A COMPROMISE COMMENT AND OF COURSE TO GAIN THE INFLUENCE IN THE GOVERNMENT THAT BELIEVED IT WAS DENIED BY THE FIRST FAMILY DOMINATED CABINET FORMED IN MARCH END COMMENT BUT ONLY WITH AMIEN RAIS' ENDORSEMENT ALSO SASONO THOUGHT THAT 'RAIS SHOULD ENTER THE SUPREME ADVISORY COUNCIL DPA RATHER THAN THE CABINET AT FIRST IT SEEMED THAT RAIS WOULD GO ALONG BUT ON THE MORNING OF MAY 17 AFTER MEETING WITH HIS ADVISORS IN YOGYAKARTA RAIS INFORMED SASONO THAT HE DID NOT WANT UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED TO ENTER THE GOVERNMENT AND REJECTED THE DEAL AFTERWARD SASONO COMMUNI ATED TO WIRANTO VIA SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HARMOKO THAT ICMI WOULD NOT GO ALONG WITH THIS CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 PROPOSAL JAKART 02752 02 OF 02 171231Z 8 C SOEHARTO COULD HAVE DIFFICULTY PERSUADING SERIOUS PEOPLE TO ENTER HIS CABINET AT THIS POINT FOR EXAMPLE SOURCE SAID THAT SASONO HAD CALLED THE RECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GADJA MADAH IN YOGYAKARTA TO SEE IF HE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE POST OF MINISTER OF EDUCATION THE RECTOR REFUSED SAYING THAT HE DID NOT WANT THE STUDENTS TO BURN HIS HOUSE DOWN 9 C SOURCE ALSO SAID THAT SASONO WHO HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH KOSTRAD COMMANDER LT GENERAL PRABOWO HAD IIOPENED HIS EYES AFTER THE REPORTS CIRCULATING THAT PRABOWO WAS CONNECTED TO THE KIDNAPPING OF ACTIVISTS AND THE SHOOTING OF STUDENTS AT TRISAKTI UNIVERSITY PRABOWO AND MUSLIM LEADER AMIEN RAIS WERE SUSPICIOUS OF EACH OTHER ESPECIALLY SINCE RAIS HAD FORMED THE PEOPLE'S COUNCIL MAR WHICH PRABOWO VIEWED AS EXTRA-CONSTITUTIONAL AND A THREAT TO HIS OWN LEADERSHIP ASPIRATIONS POSSIBLE RECREATION OF POWERFUL INTERNAL SECURITY APPARATUS 10 C RUMORS HAVE BEEN RUNNING THROUGH JAKARTA FOR DAYS THAT SOEHARTO MIGHT RECREATE THE POWERFUL INTERNAL SECURITY AGENCY KNOWN AS KOPKAMTIB n LAW AND ORDER RESTORATION COMMAND A SOURCE I I TOLD POLOFF MAY 16 THAT SOEHARTO MIGHT BE PLANNING TO RECREATE THE KOPKAMTIB UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF GENERAL PRABOWO ON MAY 17 POLCOUNS LEARNED FROM THE I v______________ THAT ROY THIS WOULD HAPPEN CONFIDENTIAL UNCLASSIFIED I Bl Bl UNCLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 JAKART 02752 02 OF 02 171231Z CONFIDENTIAL NNNN UNCLASSIFIED This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu