Indonesia protests to US over 'spying'

Indonesia protests to US over 'spying'

Indonesia said on Wednesday it had lodged a strong protest with the United States over reports that the US embassy in Jakarta engaged in espionage.

 "Indonesia cannot accept the reported existence of surveillance facilities in the US embassy in Jakarta and has lodged a strong protest," Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said.

"If confirmed, such activity constitutes not only a violation of diplomatic norms and ethics but also contradicts the spirit of amity between countries," he said.

Natalegawa said his ministry had talked to the US embassy to demand an explanation.

Australia's Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported Tuesday that the US was tapping telephones and monitoring communications networks from electronic surveillance facilities in its embassies and consulates across East and South-East Asia, including Jakarta.

The report cited information disclosed by Edward Snowden, a former employee of the US National Security Agency whose leaks exposed the country's surveillance programme worldwide.

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