US embassy cable - 97JAKARTA4948

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 004948 
 
 
USCINCPAC FOR FPA AMB TEARE 
ROME PLEASE PASS TO VATICAN 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 8/20/07 
TAGS:  PHUM, PREL, ID 
SUBJECT:  INSIDE AN INDONESIAN PRISON WITH 
          FRETILIN LEADER XANANA GUSMAO 
 
REF:  JAKARTA 4875 
 
1.  CLASSIFIED BY POLCOUNS EDMUND MCWILLIAMS, REASON, 
1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
2.  (C) SUMMARY:  A WESTERN DIPLOMAT WAS ABLE TO ENTER 
CIPINANG PRISON, CLAIMING TO BE A RELATIVE OF A 
PRISONER, AND MET BRIEFLY WITH A NUMBER OF PROMINENT 
DISSIDENTS AND OTHER PRISONERS.  THE DIPLOMAT NOTED THAT 
THE PRISONERS APPEAR TO BE USING THEIR TIME TOGETHER TO 
SHARE POLITICAL PERSPECTIVES, NOT UNLIKE THE POLITICAL 
CROSS-POLLINATION THAT TOOK PLACE IN SOME OF THE LESS 
HARSH CAMPS IN THE SOVIET GULAG OR IN SOUTH AFRICA'S 
ROBBEN ISLAND.  FRETILIN LEADER XANANA GUSMAO, A LEADING 
FIGURE WITHIN THE PRISONER COMMUNITY, TOLD THE DIPLOMAT 
THAT HIS VISION OF A FUTURE FOR EAST TIMOR INVOLVED A 
PERIOD OF AUTONOMY FOLLOWED BY A VOTE BY EAST TIMORESE 
ABOUT THEIR FUTURE.  END SUMMARY 
 
3.  (C) A WESTERN DIPLOMAT, POSING AS A RELATIVE OF A 
PRISONER IN JAKARTA'S CIPINANG PRISON, USED THE OCCASION 
OF NATIONAL DAY VISITS AUGUST 17 TO ENTER THE PRISON. 
THE DIPLOMAT SOUGHT A MEETING WITH "WILSON," ONE OF THE 
POLITICAL PRISONERS FROM THE PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY 
(PRD) WHO WAS RECENTLY CONVICTED AND SENTENCED ON 
DISSENT CHARGES.  WITH MEETINGS BETWEEN PRISONERS AND 
THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS TAKING PLACE IN A RELAXED 
ATMOSPHERE WITHIN A COURTYARD IN THE PRISON, THE 
DIPLOMAT WAS ABLE TO MEET AND SPEAK BRIEFLY WITH XANANA 
GUSMAO, IMPRISONED LEADER OF THE FRETILIN RESISTANCE 
FORCES OF EAST TIMOR. 
 
4.  (C) GUSMAO APPEARED IN GOOD HEALTH AND GOOD SPIRITS. 
GUSMAO HAS EMERGED AS A LEADER AMONG MANY PROMINENT 
POLITICAL DISSIDENTS WHO ARE INTERNED AT CIPINANG 
PRISON.  HE RECENTLY ORGANIZED A SOCCER MATCH BETWEEN A 
TEAM OF POLITICAL DISSIDENTS AND COMMON CRIMINALS (THE 
DISSIDENTS WON).  ACCORDING TO ACCOUNTS GIVEN TO THE 
DIPLOMAT, THE DISSIDENTS SPEAK JOKINGLY OF THE CIPINANG 
"PARLIAMENT" OR "UNIVERSITY," ALLUDING TO THE BROAD 
POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS WHICH TAKE PLACE AMONG THE 
PRISONERS.  THE DIPLOMAT NOTED THAT STUDENTS VISIT SOME 
PRISONERS, SUCH AS IMPRISONED DISSIDENT SRI BINTANG 
PAMUNGKAS, TO LISTEN TO HIS INFORMAL LECTURES. 
 
5.  (C) GUSMAO, WHO IS LEARNING ENGLISH, AND OTHER 
PRISONERS ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE BOOKS, PERIODICALS AND 
NEWSPAPERS AND HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SMUGGLE OUT LETTERS AND 
EVEN ARTICLES WITHOUT MUCH TROUBLE.  THE PRISONERS 
DEPEND HEAVILY ON FOOD SENT BY FRIENDS AND RELATIVES 
INASMUCH AS PRISON FOOD IS SAID TO BE OF VERY POOR 
QUALITY. 
 
6.  (C) GUSMAO INDICATED TO THE DIPLOMAT THAT WHILE HE 
WOULD WELCOME A CHANCE TO RETURN HOME TO EAST TIMOR, HE 
IS OPPOSED TO THE NOTION THAT HE MIGHT BE RELEASED AND 
GO INTO EXILE.  GUSMAO REFUSED REQUESTS BY THE DIPLOMAT 
AND BY JOURNALISTS (ALSO PRESENT ON NATIONAL DAY) TO 
PROVIDE ANY READOUT ON HIS JULY 16 DINNER WITH NELSON 
MANDELA.  HE ALSO CLAIMED TO HAVE LITTLE KNOWLEDGE OF 
THE UN SPONSORED EAST TIMOR DIALOGUE BETWEEN LISBON AND 
JAKARTA BUT EXPRESSED SOME HOPE FOR PROGRESS THROUGH 
THAT MECHANISM. 
 
7.  (C) GUSMAO DID SHARE HIS VIEWS WITH THE DIPLOMAT 
REGARDING A SOLUTION FOR EAST TIMOR.  HE SAID THAT HE 
BELIEVED THE SHAPE OF A FINAL SOLUTION WOULD INVOLVE 
SOME FORM OF AUTONOMY FOR FOUR TO FIVE YEARS AND THEN A 
VOTE BY THE PEOPLE OF EAST TIMOR ON THEIR FUTURE. 
 
8.  (C) COMMENT:  THE INTERACTION AMONG THE NON-CRIMINAL 
PRISONERS IS REMINISCENT OF ACCOUNTS OF LIFE IN SOME OF 
THE LESS HARSH PRISONS IN THE SOVIET GULAG OR ON ROBBEN 
ISLAND IN SOUTH AFRICA WHERE PRESIDENT MANDELA SPENT 
MUCH OF HIS LIFE.  AS IN CIPINANG THOSE CAMPS SAW A RICH 
CROSS POLLINATION OF POLITICAL IDEAS AND STRATEGIES 
AMONG PRISONERS.  WE NOTE AS WELL, THAT SEVERAL OF THE 
PRISONERS EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT BEING MIXED WITH 
HARDENED CRIMINAL PRISONERS WHO OFTEN FUNCTIONED AS 
SPIES FOR THE PRISON ADMINISTRATION.  TYPICALLY, ONE 
CRIMINAL IS PLACED WITH THREE POLITICAL PRISONERS IN 
FOUR-PERSON CELLS.  XANANA REPORTEDLY HAS A PRIVATE 
CELL. 
 
 
HARVEY