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Marty confronts Australia over wiretapping allegations
Summoned: Australian Ambassador Greg Moriarty (front) arrives at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta, after being summoned on Friday
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Summoned: Australian Ambassador Greg Moriarty (front) arrives at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta, after being summoned on Friday. China and Southeast Asian governments demanded an explanation from the US and its allies following media reports that American and Australian embassies in the region were being used as hubs for Washingtonâs secret electronic data collection program. (AP/Achmad Ibrahim) (front) arrives at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta, after being summoned on Friday. China and Southeast Asian governments demanded an explanation from the US and its allies following media reports that American and Australian embassies in the region were being used as hubs for Washingtonâs secret electronic data collection program. (AP/Achmad Ibrahim)
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span class="inline inline-none">Summoned: Australian Ambassador Greg Moriarty (front) arrives at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta, after being summoned on Friday. China and Southeast Asian governments demanded an explanation from the US and its allies following media reports that American and Australian embassies in the region were being used as hubs for Washington's secret electronic data collection program. (AP/Achmad Ibrahim)
Currently in Perth, Australia, to attend an annual meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa has taken the opportunity to raise concerns with his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop over alleged wiretapping and surveillance activities perpetrated by the Australian Embassy in Jakarta.
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 neighboring countries and are unacceptable'.
This was the second time this week that the Foreign Ministry lodged official complaints over alleged espionage activities perpetrated by its allies. The US Embassy's Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Kristen Bauer, came to the ministry on Wednesday to be reprimanded over the US's alleged wiretapping operations in the country.
After Moriarty's meeting at the Foreign Ministry, which lasted less than half an hour, the Australian ambassador said 'it was a good meeting and now I will report it back to my government'.
Australia's newly elected conservative prime minister, Tony Abbott, angered many Indonesians in September by proposing to turn back boats of migrants passing through Indonesia en route to Christmas Island. Relations between the two countries have often suffered because of statements made by government officials.
Marty expresed his disappoinment with the reported Australian Embassy activites in Jakarta, saying they could damage 'the trust and confidence that has been nurtured and developed over many decades.'
'I think we have been able to communicate our concerns to Foreign Minister Bishop,' said the minister after a meeting with his counterpart.
'Countries may have capacities, technical capacities, to intercept and to carry out the activity that's been reported, and information may have been gathered,' he told reporters in Perth, as quoted by the Associated Press.
'But the cost, in terms of trust, in terms of the damage, that may result is something that we must all reflect on.'
Reuters quoted Bishop as saying that she took seriously the concerns raised, but underlined that 'the Australian government does not and will not comment on intelligence matters.'
Reports by The Sydney Morning Herald said that Australian surveillance collection facilities were in place at embassies in Jakarta, Bangkok, Hanoi, Beijing and Dili, Timor Leste, and at high commissions in Kuala Lumpur and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
Details are reported to be in a secret US National Security Agency (NSA) document leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden and published by Germany's Der Spiegel magazine.
Meanwhile, China is demanding an explanation from the United States after the Herald reported that its embassy in Beijing, as well as those of Australia, Britain and Canada, were being used as part of a US-led spying operation.
Quoting Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chua Chunying, Reuters reported that China and Australia had previously agreed to increase cooperation, with both seeing development opportunities in the other.
'We hope and expect that Australia can work hard with China in this regard,' said Chunying.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade declined to comment, saying: 'It is the long-standing practice of the Australian government not to comment on intelligence matters.'
China, a major trading partner in the midst of negotiations on a free-trade agreement with Australia, expressed concern this week after Australia's newly elected government said it was upholding a ban on China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd from bidding for work on the country's US$38 billion national broadband network. (asw)
