US embassy cable - 05MANILA4901

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 004901 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, INR/EAP 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, ECON, PHUM, SOCI, XB, XC, RP 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MANILA HOSTS SOUTHEAST ASIA REGIONAL 
CONFERENCE AIMED AT IMPROVING REPORTING 
 
REF: MANILA 3415 
 
1. (U) Embassy Manila hosted the 2005 Southeast Asia 
Reporting Officers Conference, October 13-14.  Thirty-eight 
participants from Missions in Southeast Asia and other posts 
in EAP, as well as from the Department and Pentagon, 
participated in the two-day event.  A full list of 
participants is included in Para 7. 
 
2.  (U) After Charge d'Affaires Paul W. Jones opened the 
conference with introductory remarks, participants engaged 
in lively panel discussions on a wide range of political, 
economic and public health issues.  The overarching goal of 
the eight panels was to stimulate debate on current issues 
and trends of critical interest to U.S. foreign policy in 
Southeast Asia, and to share ideas and best practices to 
make regional reporting more effective and relevant for the 
end-user. 
 
3.  (U) Panels on political-related issues included 
discussion of the following topics: 
 
-- Counterterrorism:  Participants reviewed the seriousness 
of the threat posed by Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in Southeast 
Asia, with specific focus on Indonesia, Malaysia, and the 
Philippines, and the means by which various host governments 
have responded to the threat.  S/CT briefed participants on 
ways USG counterterrorism funds can be used to help host 
governments address these threats. 
 
-- Regional Organizations:  Participants discussed the 
evolving roles of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), 
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and 
other regional fora, such as the East Asia Summit (EAS). 
Participants also proposed strategies on managing relations 
with host governments and publics in the face of 
increasingly strong engagement by the Chinese government. 
 
-- Domestic Politics:  Using examples based on recent 
Philippine politics, the panel addressed ways to improve 
communication between Missions and Washington during 
domestic political turbulence in order to keep reporting 
focused on key issues.  A panelist from Bangkok shared 
lessons learned from the response to the December 2004 
tsunami, particularly on ways to improve inter-agency 
 
SIPDIS 
coordination.  The panel also examined unions as a political 
force. 
 
4.  (U) Panels focused on economic-related issues included 
discussion of the following topics: 
 
-- Trade and Investment:  Panelists discussed ways to more 
effectively report on non-tariff barriers to trade and how 
to apply lessons learned from the recent Free Trade 
Agreement (FTA) with Singapore to future trade-focused 
negotiations in the region. 
 
-- Financial Economy Issues:  Participants proposed ways to 
more accurately assess local investment climates and 
discussed how to prepare for possible scenarios such as 
further oil price rises. 
 
5.  (U) Other sessions addressed the following issues: 
 
-- Trafficking in Persons (TIP):  Participants discussed the 
scope of the transnational trafficking problem in the region 
and shared best practices to encourage stronger host 
government and NGO action to combat TIP. 
 
-- Public Health:  Experts on the panel debated the 
effectiveness of the regional response to avian influenza 
and assessed preparations by Missions if there is a major 
outbreak in the region.  Washington participants suggested 
possible sources of funding for local public health 
initiatives. 
 
-- Making Reporting Even More Relevant:  Participants shared 
knowledge of how to improve reporting in all areas such as: 
making the best use of FSNs; communicating with peers in 
Washington in order to keep reporting focused and relevant; 
and utilizing officers in all cones to support advocacy and 
outreach activities. 
 
6.  (U) Mission truly enjoyed the opportunity of hosting a 
broad cross-section of colleagues from Southeast Asian 
posts, other EAP posts, and from Washington, and to showcase 
the beauty and history of the Chancery property in Manila. 
The Political Section in Manila offered to serve as a 
clearinghouse for other Missions who may wish to host the 
function in 2006. 
 
7.  (U) Participants in the 2005 SE Asia Reporting Officers 
Conference October 13-14: 
 
Southeast Asian Posts: 
 
Colin Crosby (Bangkok) 
Jeremy Nathan (Bangkok) 
Peter Thorin (Bangkok) 
Trent Wilson (Bangkok) 
Beatrice Camp (Chiang Mai) 
Elizabeth Wharton (Dili) 
Benjamin Moeling (Hanoi) 
Janet Speck (Hanoi) 
Ruth Hall (Jakarta) 
Lissa McAtee (Jakarta) 
Henry Rector (Jakarta) 
John Finkbeiner (Kuala Lumpur) 
Jeffrey Hilsgen (Kuala Lumpur) 
Brian Phipps (Kuala Lumpur) 
Cleveland Charles (Manila) 
Timothy Cipullo (Manila) 
John Groch (Manila) 
Robert Ludan (Manila) 
David Maness (Manila) 
Joseph L. Novak (Manila) 
Paul O'Friel (Manila) 
Machut Shishak (Manila) 
Aye Aye Thwin (Manila) 
Steve Worobec (Manila) 
Jennifer Spande (Phnom Penh) 
Teresa Manlowe (Rangoon) 
Paul Horowitz (Singapore) 
Christopher Kavanagh (Singapore) 
 
Micronesia: 
 
Stephen Druzak (Kolonia) 
Darlene Korok (Majuro) 
 
Australia: 
 
John Warner (Canberra) 
Antoinette Hurtado (Canberra) 
 
Washington, DC: 
 
LTC Russell Bailey (OSD, Pentagon) 
Karen Chandler (S/CT) 
Nathaniel "Chip" Dean (EAP/MTS) 
Brian McFeeters (EAP/MTS) 
CDR Cynthia Thebaud (Joint Staff, Pentagon) 
Andrew Vincent (INR/EAP)