National

Australian Government Denies Having Tapped Indonesian Embassy in Canberra
05 Pebruari 2004

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Australian Government has denied having tapped the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, Australia.

“We agree with the statement made by the Indonesian Government,” Kirk Cunningham, the Press Attaché at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, told Tempo News Room on Wednesday morning (04/02).

He refused to make any further comment.



The assumption that the Indonesian Embassy has been tapped was made by Maj. Gen. Nachrowi Ramli of the State Code Institution.

He said that Australian Government had been tapping the office of the Indonesian Embassy since 1991 via telephone, computer, facsimile, and e-mails.

Cunningham also denied the possibility of the tapping on Indonesian Embassy in Australia.

“There are rules over this matter. We cannot talk about security and intelligence subjects,” he stated.

According to Cunningham, the Indonesian authorities have already verified this matter directly with him.

Marty Natalegawa, spokesperson of Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also earlier denied the tapping issue.

“There was only an overlap between the air frequency used by our embassy in Australia and an Australian private TV station,” he said.



Faisal - Tempo News Room