Australia 'spied on Indonesian President Yudhoyono'

[Devil Soul]

18 November 2013 Last updated at 04:42 GMT
Australia 'spied on Indonesia President Yudhoyono'

Mr Yudhoyono and several senior ministers were said to be targeted
Australia's intelligence agencies spied on phone calls of the Indonesian president and close confidantes, leaked documents reportedly show.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the first lady and Vice-President Boediono were reportedly amongst those targeted.

The allegations came from documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden which were published by broadcaster ABC and the Guardian newspaper.

Indonesia said Australia should "urgently" clarify the spying claims.

The report is the latest in a series of spying allegations that have strained relations between the two allies.

On 1 November Indonesia summoned Australia's ambassador amid reports that Australia's Jakarta embassy was used as part of a US-led spying network in Asia.

The latest leaked document showed that Australia spy agencies named Mr Yudhoyono, the first lady, Vice-President Boediono and other senior ministers as targets for monitoring, the reports said.

The presentation from Australian spy agency the Defence Signals Directorate (now known as the Australian Signals Directorate) showed that agencies attempted to listen to Mr Yudhoyono's calls at least once, and tracked calls made to and from his mobile phone, in August 2009, theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation and the Guardian added.

The news organisations published slides from the presentation, which appeared to show a list of Indonesian "leadership targets" and the handset models used by each target, as well as a diagram of "voice events" of the Indonesian president in August 2009.

One slide entitled "Indonesian President voice intercept (August '09)" appeared to show an attempt to listen to the content of a phone call to Mr Yudhoyono.

'Research'
On Monday, responding to questions in parliament, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said: "The Australian government never comments on specific intelligence matters."

He added: "I will never say or do anything that might damage the strong relationship and the close co-operation that we have with Indonesia, which is all in all, our most important relationship."

Last week, commenting on the earlier claims, Mr Abbott had described the term spying as "kind of loaded language" and suggested that "researching" would be more appropriate.

Many asylum seekers travel to Australia via Indonesia by boat
On Monday Indonesian presidential spokesman Teuku Faizasyah, said: "[The] Australian government urgently needs to clarify on this news, to avoid further damage."

"The damage has been done," he added.

Indonesia has publicly voiced anger over previous allegations of Australian spying.

Vice-President Boediono, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name, said last week that the Indonesian public were "concerned" about the spying allegations.

"I think we must look forward to come to some arrangement which guarantees that intelligence information from each side is not used against the other," he said.

Australia and Indonesia are key allies and trading partners.

Australia requires Indonesia's co-operation on the asylum issue, as many asylum seekers travel via Indonesia to Australia by boat, but there are tensions on the issue.

Earlier this month, Indonesia declined an Australian request to receive a boat of asylum seekers whose vessel, bound for Australia's Christmas Island, had got into trouble after it departed from Indonesia.

The reports are amongst the series of documents leaked by ex-US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who has been granted temporary asylum in Russia and is wanted in the US in connection with the unauthorised disclosures.
BBC News - Australia 'spied on Indonesia President Yudhoyono'

 

[nufix]

This is getting worse than I expected.

Indonesia recalls ambassador to Australia over spying claim

Anger mounts: Indonesia reacts after allegations that Australia spied on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Photo: Reuters

Indonesia will call back its ambassador to Australia and "review" Australian diplomatic positions in Jakarta as anger rises in Indonesia over revelations that Australia tapped the phone of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife.

A statement from the office of the Co-ordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security, Djoko Suyanto, said Indonesia would:

• Contact Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to say the [spying] issue will not be healthy for the Indonesia-Australia relationship;
• Ask Australia to provide an official and public explanation and make a commitment not to repeat their actions;
• Summon to Jakarta the Indonesian ambassador to Canberra, Primo Alui Joelianto, for a "consultation";
• Review the co-operation on the exchange of information between the Indonesian and Australian governments, including the assignments of Australian officers in the Australian embassy in Jakarta; and
• Review all co-operation on the exchange of information and other co-operation with Australia.

The spying revelations have ‘‘devastated’’ the President, according to his special adviser for political affairs, Daniel Sparringa.

Ambassor recalled: Primo Alui Joelianto. Photo: Lyn Mills

‘‘Until today, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has always paid special attention toward the deepening of the two countries relations. Therefore the news has devastated us.

‘‘Indonesia’s concerns on the issues have been long shown by our government’s official inquiries to the Australian ambassador earlier.

"If no serious acts are taken to immediately end the issues, it will continue to impede our countries’ [relationship]. President SBY hopes that the Australian government would re-evaluate the approaches used to collect information."

Australia's deputy ambassador to Indonesia, David Engel, has also been called into the Indonesian Department of Foreign Affairs to answer questions about the spying revelations.

Last time the Indonesians recalled their ambassador to Australia was in 2006, over Papuan asylum seekers.



Read more: Indonesia recalls ambassador to Australia over spying claim

 

[Viet]

nufix, your country was cought by surprise, I assume. The Germans are upset too, they were spied for years by their "friends" America and England.

 

[Snomannen]

nufix, your country was cought by surprise, I assume. The Germans are upset too, they were spied for years by their "friends" America and England.

I believe that Germany is up to something as well to its "allies", otherwise it will speak out more louder and take more actions.

Anyway the name president Yudhoyono sound like president YOLO to me.

 

[Viet]

I believe that Germany is up to something as well to its "allies", otherwise it will speak out more louder and take more actions.

Anyway the name president Yudhoyono sound like president YOLO to me.

Who is President yolo?

The Germans are angry. They are avaluating options how to take on the issue. Actually there are some signs indicating your "friend" spys on you. For example take the British embassy in Berlin:

Kanzleramt= seat of the goverment
Reichstag= Parliament
Britische Botschaft= British embassy

Do you see the weird installation on the roof of the British embassy?

 

[Snomannen]

Who is President yolo?

The Germans are angry. Actually there are some signs indicating your "friend" spys on you. For example take the British embassy in Berlin:

Kanzleramt= seat of the goverment
Reichstag= Parliament
Britische Botschaft= British embassy

Do you see the weird installation on the roof of the British embassy?

"YOLO" is some kind of a... just go google it.

I was living around there (in Apa. Brandenburg Tor) but never did I see such a thing, what a shame.

 

[armchairPrivate]

Germany has been in bed with the US, UK, Canada, Australia and most western countries doing the spying and passing information between themselves since the War.

Merkel is just acting angry for public consumption. She should be nominated for the Nobel Best Acting Prize.

Indonesia and Australia are not exactly in good terms with one and other. Actually they are rivals in that region. So I think spying on your competitors is not unacceptable.

 

[Wholegrain]

Southeast asian nations like East Timor, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea should aggresively force Australia to concede fishing and gas drilling rights.

Australia has been bullying its neighbors for too long. First, even though Makassaree fishermen have annually sailed to Arnhem land before European colonization, before Australia even existed, and traded and fished in the area, the Australian government banned the fishing voyages and burnt their boats.

Next, Australia tried to force East Timor to concede gas rich areas in its own waters, which do not belong to Australia.

Now they've started spying for no good reason at all (Indonesia does not post a military threat to Australia).

Australia needs to be reigned in.

 

[livingdead]

Germany has been in bed with the US, UK, Canada, Australia and most western countries doing the spying and passing information between themselves since the War.

Merkel is just acting angry for public consumption. She should be nominated for the Nobel Best Acting Prize.

Indonesia and Australia are not exactly in good terms with one and other. Actually they are rivals in that region. So I think spying on your competitors is not unacceptable.

germany is angry because its personal, they are spying on her specifically since ages. Every country spies on others and wester nations pass info to each other. Thats not the issue with germans mostly. But one would expect head of state to be spared or at least not single out.
the spaniards on other hand are pretending to be angry coz NSA read their love letters...

 

[Nike]

I think SBY had a right to be angry, because they are spying his beloved wife and as a gentleman he should acts accordingly to protect his woman.

 

[xdrive]

I don't see what the big deal is. Every country in the world gathers information from every other country.

Indonesia spies on Australia. It's no secret amongst governments. The reason Indonesia is kicking up a big fuss is because they have an election coming up and the Indonesian government has to act strong to please the nationalists. 

Southeast asian nations like East Timor, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea should aggresively force Australia to concede fishing and gas drilling rights.

lol what? Why would our allies force Australia to concede such rights in our own territory? Did you even think about this before writing it?

Australia has been bullying its neighbors for too long.

Name a neighbor Australia bullies?

First, even though Makassaree fishermen have annually sailed to Arnhem land before European colonization, before Australia even existed, and traded and fished in the area, the Australian government banned the fishing voyages and burnt their boats.

We live in 2013, it isn't 1167. W are a sovereign country.

Next, Australia tried to force East Timor to concede gas rich areas in its own waters, which do not belong to Australia.

Rubbish.

Now they've started spying for no good reason at all

The spying reported in the article was conducted in 2009, it hasnt "just started" Every country gathers information from its neighbours, even if the neighbouring country is friendly. Indonesia spies on us too.

(Indonesia does not post a military threat to Australia).

A country doesn't need to pose a military threat to have someone gather information on them. You obviously don't know about the benefits of intelligence gathering.

 

[Reashot Xigwin]

I don't see what the big deal is. Every country in the world gathers information from every other country.

Indonesia spies on Australia. It's no secret amongst governments. The reason Indonesia is kicking up a big fuss is because they have an election coming up and the Indonesian government has to act strong to please the nationalists.

Of course we spy, but not to this degree. We don't spy on an international gathering or tapped any head of state cellphone. I can say that for certain because I almost got recruited to join the BIN (Indonesian Intelligence Agency).

To use a proverb; We stole Chum, they stole Whale.

 

[nufix]

nufix, your country was cought by surprise, I assume. The Germans are upset too, they were spied for years by their "friends" America and England.

Germany reacted to the NSA spying allegation when Frau Merkel knew that her phone line was tapped and the same thing goes for our president too. Yudhoyono and his family's phone lines were also tapped.

I don't think that tapping a phone line that belong to a head of a diplomatically friendly country can be considered "normal" in collecting informations. It would be better for U.S to arrange an information sharing policy with Germany, and also for Australia with Indonesia.

I don't see what the big deal is. Every country in the world gathers information from every other country.

Indonesia spies on Australia. It's no secret amongst governments. The reason Indonesia is kicking up a big fuss is because they have an election coming up and the Indonesian government has to act strong to please the nationalists. 

I agree, governments of the world had been spying on each other since forever. Indonesian government has also done the same thing to Australia.

Cookies must be enabled. | The Australian


But you should understand that spying on each other is one thing, but being caught is something else.

The issue has been made public, and the public is now angry, thus forcing Indonesian government to show that it shares the same stand with the public. And I don't think that the main reason of Indonesia kicking up a big fuss is because the upcoming election, as Pres. Yudhoyono can't run again in the upcoming election. It is more like showing its dissappointment towards Abbot's lack of diplomatical skills in discussing issues like Boat People and other previous issues. This spying allegation is only a trigger to the declining diplomatic relation between Indonesia and Australia in these past 2 years. 

Who is President yolo?

The Germans are angry. They are avaluating options how to take on the issue. Actually there are some signs indicating your "friend" spys on you. For example take the British embassy in Berlin:

Kanzleramt= seat of the goverment
Reichstag= Parliament
Britische Botschaft= British embassy

Do you see the weird installation on the roof of the British embassy?

Lol, looks like they are trying to camouflage it. Why don't they cover it with a water tank or something more "convincing".

 

[xdrive]

Of course we spy, but not to this degree. We don't spy on an international gathering or tapped any head of state cellphone. I can say that for certain because I almost got recruited to join the BIN (Indonesian Intelligence Agency).

To use a proverb; We stole Chum, they stole Whale.

I assure you Indonesia does, you just don't know about it

"When he retired in 2004 Indonesian spymaster General Abdullah Mahmud Hendropriyono revealed his agency had not only tapped Australian civil and military communications and politicians' phone calls during the 1999 East Timor crisis, but had also unsuccessfully attempted to recruit Australian officials as double agents."

http://www.news.com.au/national/ind...idnt-do-the-same/story-fncynjr2-1226763788127

 

[Wholegrain]

I don't see what the big deal is. Every country in the world gathers information from every other country.

Indonesia spies on Australia. It's no secret amongst governments. The reason Indonesia is kicking up a big fuss is because they have an election coming up and the Indonesian government has to act strong to please the nationalists. 


lol what? Why would our allies force Australia to concede such rights in our own territory? Did you even think about this before writing it?



Name a neighbor Australia bullies?



We live in 2013, it isn't 1167. W are a sovereign country.



Rubbish.



The spying reported in the article was conducted in 2009, it hasnt "just started" Every country gathers information from its neighbours, even if the neighbouring country is friendly. Indonesia spies on us too.


A country doesn't need to pose a military threat to have someone gather information on them. You obviously don't know about the benefits of intelligence gathering.

EAST TIMOR: Australia's oil and gas grab exposed | Green Left Weekly

Australian oil company bullies East Timor | Direct Action

Tougher line expected on Timor oil and gas

Jonathan Manthorpe: East Timor challenges Australia’s control of Timor Sea gas field

Espionage, blackmail and oil—Australian neo-colonialism in East Timor - World Socialist Web Site

East Timor seeks to sink sea treaty over spy claims

East Timor accuses Aussies of spying over oil and gas deal - The Standard

Makassan contact with Australia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia