Spying concerns
Play
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa has taken the opportunity to raise concerns with his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop over alleged wiretapping and surveillance activities allegedly perpetrated by the Australian Embassy in Jakarta.
Natalegawa is currently in Perth, Australia, to attend an annual meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation.
Indonesia’s chief diplomat also asked Foreign Ministry secretary-general Budi Bowoleksono to summon Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Greg Moriarty on Friday to demand an explanation following news reports based on documents leaked by US whistleblower Edward Snowden to international media outlets.
According to ministry spokesman Michael Tene, Budi conveyed the Indonesian government’s earlier stated position that “such actions do not reflect the spirit of relations between friendly neighbouring countries and are unacceptable”.
This was the second time last week that the Foreign Ministry lodged an official complaint over alleged espionage activities perpetrated by its allies. The US Embassy’s charge d’affaires ad interim Kristen Bauer was summoned to the ministry on Wednesday to be reprimanded over the US’s alleged wiretapping operations in the country.
