SBY urged to expel diplomats over wiretapping

JAKARTA. An international law expert from the University of Indonesia's (UI) School of Law, Hikmahanto Juwana, said on Monday that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono should take a firm stance against wiretapping by foreign intelligence agencies by instructing his foreign minister to expel US and Australian diplomats from Indonesia.

“The President must immediately instruct the foreign affairs minister to order two or three US and Australian diplomats to leave Indonesia,” he said, as quoted by Antara news agency.

According to the former dean of the UI law school, President Yudhoyono should express the outrage of the Indonesian people over surveillance operations conducted by the US and Australia. At the same time, Hikmahanto said the President should also get angry about how fugitive former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden has embarrassed Indonesia.

“Indonesia is now perceived as a country that is very prone to wiretapping operations and that is easy to be ashamed of. This is because no serious action is taken by the government,” said Hikmahanto.

In his latest disclosure of confidential documents, Snowden revealed that the Australian intelligence agency had bugged phone calls of several high-ranking Indonesian officials. He even disclosed officials’ names and the brands of cell phones they used.

Hikmahanto said Indonesia had become Snowden’s playground thanks to Yudhoyono’s irresoluteness in responding to the wiretapping scandal.

He said the government’s decision to recall Indonesian Ambassador to Australia Nadjib Riphat Kesoema to respond to reports suggesting that Australia had wiretapped phone calls of both the president and his wife was a good measure but not yet enough.

“It’s not yet firm enough because the decision was taken only after the incident occurred,” Hikmahanto said.