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Indonesia recalls its ambassador from Australia over spying report
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Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono recalled his ambassador from Australia yesterday and ordered a review of bilateral cooperation following reports an Australian security agency attempted to listen to his cellphone in 2009.
Australian Broadcasting Corp and The Guardian reported yesterday they had documents from National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden showing the Australian agency also targeted the phones of Indonesian first lady Kristiani Herawati and another eight government ministers and officials.
The documents reportedly showed the Australian Defence Signals Directorate, now the top-secret Australian Signals Directorate, attempted to listen to the presidentÕs phone conversations on at least one occasion and tracked activity on the phone for 15 days in August 2009.
The diplomatic spat is the second in less than a month between Indonesia and Australia stemming from SnowdenÕs revelations linking Australia with US espionage.
ItÕs an early test for Australian Prime Minister Tony AbbottÕs new government, which was elected in September and is keen to cement ties with it populous neighbor before the uncertainty of Indonesian presidential elections next year.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said Yudhoyono had Òdirectly orderedÓ the ambassador, Nadjib Riphat Kesoema, to be recalled.
ÒNever underestimate our attitude, which is very disturbed by this matter,Ó Natalegawa said.
He said Kesoema would soon leave the Australian capital of Canberra and fly home. No time frame was given for his return to Australia.
All governments gather information
IndonesiaÕs Coordinating Minister of Political and Security Affairs Joko Suyanto said in a statement all cooperative relationships between the two countries were also under review, as were the positions of Australian officials in Jakarta.
Abbott, who was not in government in 2009, declined to comment on the reports in Parliament.
ÒAll governments gather information, and all governments know that every other government gathers information,Ó Abbott said. ÒThe Australian government uses all the resources at its disposal Ñ including information Ñ to help our friends and our allies, not to harm them,Ó he added.
But Bob Carr, AustraliaÕs foreign minister until AbbottÕs coalition won September elections, advised Abbott to assure Yudhoyono that if his phone had been tapped, it wouldnÕt happen again.
ÒIf the American president can give a guarantee to Angela Merkel of Germany that America wonÕt be overhearing what she says on the phone, then we ought to be able to do it without any trouble to the president of Indonesia,Ó Carr told Nine Network television news.
Second on the list after the president was his wife, also known as Ani Yudhoyono.
Vice President Boediono, who visited Australia last week, was third, and his predecessor, Jusuf Kalla, was fourth. Boediono uses only one name.
Earlier this month, the Indonesian government called in the Australian ambassador for an explanation following reports the Australian Embassy in Jakarta was a hub for WashingtonÕs secret electronic data collection program.
A document from Snowden published last month by the German magazine Der Spiegel describes a signals intelligence program called ÒStateroomÓ in which US, British, Australian and Canadian embassies house surveillance equipment to collect electronic communications.
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