Spying Saga in Overdrive

By Lauren Gumbs 21/11/13

Recent wiretapping revelations have sent Indo-Australian relations into diplomatic meltdown as Indonesia pulls back its cooperation and protesters burn flags outside the Australian embassy.

SBY wants an explanation for Australia’s spying and is waiting on an appropriate, and public, response from Tony Abbott. So far the Australian government has played down the incident that involved the private phones of President Yudhoyono, First lady Ani Yudhoyono and his inner circle being tapped and monitored, with Abbott’s apology only going so far as to express regret for any ‘embarrassment’ caused to SBY. Australian spying and now even Australian hacking has exploded in the Indonesian media, with every Indonesian minister in parliament making strong statements and Indonesia backing its ire with diplomatic scolding.

Yet Australia has remained true to its current policy of media silence, refusing to comment on security and intelligence gathering activities and stubbornly evading a direct apology which is what Indonesia wants and which could now amount to too little too late.

On Monday Australia issued a travel warning for ‘civil unrest and political tension’ against the likelihood of possible violent protests in Jakarta and today protesters gathered outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta. Members of nationalist organisation, Laskar Merah Putih, burnt Australian flags in indignation, protesting the attack on Indonesia’s sovereignty and PM’s refusal to apologise. The demonstration called for expulsion of all Australian diplomats from Indonesia and a boycott of Australian products. A hacker group called ‘Anonymous Indonesia’ claimed credit for 'denial of service' attacks that temporarily shut down the Australian Federal Police site and affected the Reserve Bank.

Indonesia’s government is no less upset, recalling its ambassador to Australia on Tuesday. The position of Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Greg Moriarty will be reviewed as well as diplomatic staff in Jakarta. Indonesia has suspended all military cooperation and intelligence sharing, capsizing Australia’s ‘stop the boats’ policy which is dependent on Indonesia’s support. It's also pulled its F-16 fighter jets participating in a joint military exercise in Darwin and has ceased joint military exercises being run by the Australian Special Forces. Indonesia’s Attorney General Basrief Arief is on standby to refrain from working with the Australian Attorney General’s Office, perhaps pending the response to SBY’s letter. The Indonesian Attorney General is awaiting information form the President.

Asylum seeker cooperation now pales in comparison to the diplomatic degeneration which was exacerbated by a condescending remark supposedly about Foreign Minister Marty Natelegawa by liberal party strategist Mark Textor on Twitter. The remark likened the subject of the tweet to a 70s Filipino porn star, but Textor has denied the tweet referred to Natelegawa. Kompas also reported that Textor disparaged SBY as ‘naïve’, asking “What kind of head of state communicates with the head of its neighbours via Twitter?” SBY is an avid tweeter and voiced his disapproval with Australia and Tony Abbott the social media platform sending seven texts in ten minutes last Tuesday.

Tensions are at their highest between Australia and Indonesia since the Howard government was in power, and any new revelation has the potential to fuel enmity towards Australia, whose lack of public contrition over the NSA leak al la Edward Snowden’s cables, was compounded when the US apologised to Angela Merkel. The damage has already been done, what remains to be salvaged must be done publicly and with deference in response to SBY’s letter because the Indonesian public will not let this issue of both dignity and sovereignty slide.

The overall media intensity and political mortar aimed at Australia reflects a growing nationalism that will likely sweep the upcoming 2014 elections which will be dominated by nationalist parties at any rate.  This negligible issue could be the catalyst for a far more guarded foreign policy regarding Australia, with a future leader exceedingly conscious of Australian affronts in a bid to avoid public disfavour with weak genuflection toward Australia.