● 09.15.11

●● Cablegate: Bill Gates an Asian Leader, Promotes Microsoft

Posted in Asia, Bill Gates, Cablegate, Microsoft at 5:29 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

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

¶1. (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.

¶2. (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.

¶3.(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.

¶4. (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. █

Share in other sites/networks: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

Permalink  Send this to a friend

Permalink

↺ Send this to a friend

----------

Techrights

➮ Sharing is caring. Content is available under CC-BY-SA.