The U.S. Namru-2 research lab has increasingly been accused of providing little benefit to Indonesia, with officials, lawmakers and experts voicing suspicion the lab is used for intelligence activities.

The criticism mounted following the United States' demand that Indonesia grant diplomatic status to all of its 19 citizens working at the Naval Medical Research Unit No. 2 (Namru-2) in Jakarta.

University of Indonesia international law professor Hikmahanto Juwana said diplomatic immunity given to the U.S. researchers violated international law.

He cited the Vienna Convention that says only diplomats are entitled to immunity.

"We are wondering what the use of diplomatic immunity is for a researcher. Are they so in danger of being arrested or prosecuted in their work that they need protection?

"Is Indonesia so weak that they can protect foreigners working here?" he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

All the questions, he said, led many Indonesians to suspect the American researchers were engaged in other pursuits, including intelligence activities.

Indonesia and the United States are now negotiating a new MOU to extend the operation of Namru-2 after the previous agreement expired in 2005.

Indonesia said Wednesday it decided to grant diplomatic immunity to only two American officials at Namru-2 and demanded the laboratory be more transparent in its operations.

The United States on Thursday asked Indonesia to grant diplomatic status to all its citizens at the laboratory, and denied it was not transparent.

Bantarto Bandoro of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) also called the U.S. medical lab secretive, pointing to complaints made by many government offices that the center is difficult to access.

Several Indonesian officials, including Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari and Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono, have also said the lab lacks transparency.

Juwono said Thursday the United States had rejected including Indonesian Military (TNI) scientists in the lab's operations.

Former TNI chief Gen. Wiranto and former foreign minister Ali Alatas in 1999 sent a letter asking then president BJ Habibie to stop the operations of Namru-2 because it had compromised Indonesian national security while offering little benefit to the country.

Alatas told the Post on Friday he proposed the action because the laboratory was "excessive" and gave "too many diplomatic status" allowances to the United States.

Member of the House of Representatives' Commission I on defense, security and foreign affairs Mutammimul Ula demanded the government stop Namru-2's operation and investigate allegations that it was used for intelligence activities.

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