Summary: A look at a Jakarta cable and the role Bill Gates played after he had left daytime duties at Microsoft

LAST week we showed diplomatic cables where Bill Gates got named as a participant in Asian leaders conferences/panels. In the following Cablegate cable we see this too. It also ends with: "Bill Gates spoke to 2,000 assembled government officials and students at a Presidential Lecture organized by the Kadin Secretariat. During the event, Gates recognized a student group from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) as the national of a Microsoft sponsored innovation competition and also announced that Universitas Pelita Harapan has been named the fifth Indonesian university that will host a Microsoft innovation center."

Here is the cable:

VZCZCXRO1610
PP RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0932 1330854
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 120854Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8969
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
INFO RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJB/DOJ WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 7779





UNCLAS JAKARTA 000932 




SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 




DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, G/AIAG, L/DL, EAP/EX, EB/CIP AND OES/IHA 
USAID FOR ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/WSTEIGER/MSTLOUIS AND HHS/NIH 
GENEVA FOR WHO/HOHMAN 
USDA/FAS/OSTA BRANT, ROSENBLUM 
USDA/APHIS ANNELLI 




E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO [Biological and Medical Science], EAGR [Agriculture and Forestry], 
KFLU [Avian and Pandemic Influenza Activities], 
ECPS [Communications and Postal Systems], 
AMGT [Management Operations], PGOV [Internal Governmental Affairs], ID [Indonesia] 
SUBJECT: Bill Gates Attends Government Leaders Forum Asia 




ۦ1. (U) During the May 8-9 Microsoft Government Leaders Forum (GLF) 
in Jakarta, Bill Gates praised President Yudhoyono for personally 
leading Indonesia's national committee on information technology and 
for setting ambitious goals.  Gates said that while not all of 
Indonesia's goals in information technology will likely be 
achievable in current timeframes, having lofty goals in itself is a 
best practice as it serves as a driver towards achievement. 
Yudhoyono highlighted the USAID/MCC-supported E-Procurement system 
as an example of Indonesia's effort to promote electronic governance 
in order to streamline processes and improve transparency. Over 200 
government leaders and private sector participants from other Asian 
countries attended the forum that focused on education, health and 
economic development. 




ۦ2. (SBU) During the forum, Microsoft President Director for 
Indonesia Tony Chen told Embassy staff that hosting the GLF 
Conference in Jakarta was a boon to both Microsoft Indonesia and to 
the Indonesian government.  He thanked Embassy staff for assistance, 
emphasizing the important role Ambassador Hume played in allaying 
Microsoft leadership's security concerns. Hume's trip to Redmond, 
Washington was one of the important factors in Microsoft's decision 
to hold the forum in Jakarta. 




ۦ3.(SBU) On the sides of the forum, a Gates Foundation official 
queried Embassy staff on latest developments in avian influenza 
sample sharing and on recent Ministry of Health actions barring 
NAMRU-2 from receiving samples.  He noted that Indonesian media had 
mischaracterized the Gates Foundation's interest in avian influenza 
assistance to Indonesia.  The Gates Foundation was interested in 
working on new vaccine development technologies that would 
ultimately eliminate chronic global vaccine shortages years from 
now.  The Foundation was not planning on specific assistance to 
Indonesia to develop an avian influenza vaccine. 




ۦ4. (SBU)  On May 9, Bill Gates spoke to 2,000 assembled government 
officials and students at a Presidential Lecture organized by the 
Kadin Secretariat.  During the event, Gates recognized a student 
group from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) as the national of a 
Microsoft sponsored innovation competition and also announced that 
Universitas Pelita Harapan has been named the fifth Indonesian 
university that will host a Microsoft innovation center. 




HEFFERN

Gotta help Microsoft lock-in while he's at it. ⬆