Indonesia protests to US over reported NSA spying in Jakarta
Jakarta launches protest over wiretapping claims, and China vows to guard data better
Indonesia protested strongly to the United States yesterday after claims Washington had monitored phone calls and communication networks from its embassy in Jakarta, as the spying row spread to Asia.
Australia's The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported on Tuesday that a top-secret map leaked by fugitive intelligence analyst Edward Snowden showed 90 US surveillance facilities at embassies and consulates.
The report, based on a map in German news weekly Der Spiegel, gave details about such centres around the world, but paid particular attention to their presence in Australia's Asian neighbours.
It followed days of angry protests from America's European allies after reports, based on leaks from Snowden, that Washington collected tens of millions of telephone calls and online communications in Europe as part as a vast anti-terror sweep.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said the issue had been raised with the US chargé d'affaires in Jakarta.
"Indonesia cannot accept and protests strongly over the report about wiretapping facilities at the US embassy in Jakarta," Natalegawa said.
"If confirmed, such action is not only a breach of security, but also a serious breach of diplomatic norms and ethics and certainly not in the spirit of friendly relations between nations."