Indonesia, Malaysia in Push for Wire-Tap Agreement

Jakarta Globe, Ezra Sihite, December 20, 2013

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, left, talks to his Indonesian counterpart
 President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, right, during their meet in Jakarta, on
Dec. 19, 2013. (EPA Photo/Bagus Indahono)

Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to push for an anti-wiretapping agreement within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, at the next group summit, in Myanmar in April 2014.

After a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Thursday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told a joint press conference that Malaysia had agreed to support Indonesia’s proposal for an Asean agreement to reject illegal spying practices within the region.

“I think mutual trust and mutual respect are key in international relations. That’s why I am happy the prime minister agrees with the proposed anti-spying agreement that I will table at the next Asean summit,” he said.

While Yudhoyono did not specify what countries he was referring to the proposal comes in the wake of allegations that he, his wife and key officials were wiretapped by Australia in 2009.

Indonesia-Australia relations plummeted to their lowest depths since the 1990s after Jakarta recalled its ambassador in Canberra. The ambassador has yet to return to his post.

For his part, Najib said Malaysia was ready to support Indonesia during the Asean summit, underlining that spying was unethical among friends and neighbors.

“If Indonesia proposes it then Malaysia with provide strong support,” he said.

However, the proposal could stall as Singapore, a member of Asean, has been accused of helping Australia and US in spying on both Indonesia and Malaysia.

Both Malaysia and Indonesia have filed formal protests to the Singaporean government.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s proposal gained a strong momentum after the UN General Assembly on Wednesday called for an end to excessive electronic surveillance and expressed concern at the impact such scrutiny, including spying on foreign states and the mass collection of personal data, may have on human rights.

The call was included in a resolution drafted by Germany and Brazil, and which the 193-member General Assembly adopted by consensus.

The United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand — known as the Five Eyes surveillance alliance — supported the resolution after language that had initially suggested foreign spying could be a human rights violation was weakened to appease them.

The resolution notes “that while concerns about public security may justify the gathering and protection of certain sensitive information, states must ensure full compliance with their obligations under international human rights law.”

It calls on nations to review procedures, practises and legislation on communications surveillance and “to establish or maintain existing independent, effective domestic oversight mechanisms capable of ensuring transparency, as appropriate, and accountability for State surveillance of communications, their interception and collection of personal data.”

Back in Jakarta, Yudhoyono and Najib took time to watch Indonesia defeat Malaysia for a spot in the Southeast Asia Games football final in Myanmar.

Additional reporting from AFP