"Reveal their secrets – protect our own." - Australia Spies on Indonesian President
Australia's spying activities on Indonesia went as far as attempting to tap into Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's telephone conversations. Australia had also allegedly tracked activities from his mobile phone for 15 days in August of 2009.
The alleged phone tapping went as far as targeting Mr Yudhoyono's wife phone conversations, the vice president Boediono' phone activities, the former vice president Yussuf Kalla, the foreign affairs spokesman, the security minister and the information minister.
The said activity was also targeted to gain information ahead about possible candidates for the vice president position.
These were all exposed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden's leaked documents obtained by the ABC and Guardian Australia.
The documents were leaked from Australia's electronic intelligence agency, the Australian Signals Directorate (former Defence Signals Directorate). Each page of the documents has a footnote written with the motto: "Reveal their secrets - protect our own."
As a whole, the documents were titled: "3G impact and update" as efforts were focused on charting Australia's attempt to track down all the 3G technology roll out in Indonesia and across the South-east Asia.
One page of the documents was titled "Indonesian President voice events" which details and monitor who receive and make calls from and to Mr Yudhoyono telephone.
On another page, texts revealed that Australia tried to listen in to a sensitive conversation of Mr Yudhoyono. However, a note was written saying that the call was cunningly placed at less than one minute - hindering any effort of possible tapping.
The Australia-Indonesia relation becomes shakier as this recent spying activity will surely cast more doubts from Indonesia and thus will motivate the already growing tension between the two nations.
In his recent visit to Canberra, Indonesian Vice President had already called Australia's attention about Indonesia's concern on Australia's spying activities.
"Yes, the public in Indonesia is concerned about this. I think we must look to come to some arrangement that guarantees intelligence information from each side is not used against the other."
Prime Minister Tony Abbot, on the other hand, remained hopeful that the country's relationship with Indonesia stays stronger like before.
"We have such a close, cooperative and constructive relationship with the Indonesian government".