This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

A spokesman for the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, says an Australian weekend media report attempting to “justify” the alleged phone tapping in 2009 of Jakarta’s political elite by Australian intelligence agencies is “stupid”.

The Jakarta Post on Monday published comments from Yudhoyono spokesman, Julian Aldrin Pasha, reacting sharply to a weekend report published by the Australian newspaper which argued that attempted Australian phone taps in 2009 were “part of a deliberate and calculated strategy to learn more about the shifting balance of power inside Jakarta’s ruling elite” – including understanding the specific influence wielded by the president’s wife, Ani Yudhoyono.

The weekend report suggested Australian intelligence agencies believed there were “clear national security reasons to justify the targeting of Indonesia's first lady”.

But Julian Aldrin Pasha is quoted by the Jakarta Post saying: “The attempt to justify [the tapping] is stupid. Phone tapping is illegal. If your phone was being tapped, you would feel uncomfortable, wouldn’t you? Haven’t they ever read about the regulations on freedom, privacy and human rights?”

Jakarta’s apparent displeasure with the weekend media report came as the Australian prime minister, Tony Abbott, stepped up his rhetoric a notch, sheeting the blame home to Indonesia for the recent increase in boat arrivals.

Abbott used interviews marking his first 100 days in office to urge Jakarta to forgive and forget, and get on with the business of disrupting asylum boats bound for Australia.

Tony Abbott told the ABC on Monday morning the suspension of co-operation over people smuggling and border protection in place since the surveillance row had prompted an “uptick in recent weeks” of asylum boats reaching Christmas Island.

“I think one of the reasons why there has been an uptick in boats over the last couple of weeks has been because of this suspension,” Abbott said.

“People smuggling is a crime in Indonesia, and I do think that Indonesia should resume co-operation with us. We are certainly being as good a friend as we humanly can to Indonesia, and I think that it would be the act of a good friend to swiftly resume anti-people smuggling co-operation.

“If we can ensure boats don’t leave Australia for West Papua to embarrass the Indonesians, well, similarly, there’s more that Indonesia can do to help us here.”

On Sunday, Abbott was similarly blunt. ''There's no doubt that the suspension of co-operation by the Indonesian authorities has been unhelpful,” he said at a news conference in Sydney. “And given that people smuggling is a crime in Indonesia, just as it's a crime in Australia, I think it's high time that that co-operation was resumed.”

Labor has accused the prime minister of pursuing megaphone diplomacy in relation to Indonesia.

Relations between Jakarta and Canberra soured after Guardian Australia published revelations that Australia in 2009 targeted the mobile phones of the Indonesian president, his wife and their inner circle for spying.

Abbott’s refusal to apologise prompted Indonesia to suspend co-operation on people smuggling, defence and other issues.

The suspension of co-operation on border protection is particularly damaging for the Coalition. The Coalition promised before the September election to stop irregular maritime arrivals. Its interception and disruption policies rely on a high degree of co-operation with Indonesia.

The foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, has been deployed by Abbott to reach a new co-operative agreement with her Indonesian counterpart, Marty Natalegawa, on intelligence issues. Natalegawa has made it plain the new code of conduct will be worked through on Indonesia’s terms as set out by president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The two met recently. It is unclear how long it will take to move past the diplomatic furore. Abbott’s comments appear to reflect a certain amount of impatience at current progress.

Monday’s Jakarta Post article also quotes another presidential spokesman, Teuku Faizasyah, saying the Australian’s weekend coverage of the surveillance furore was a clear attempt to justify wiretapping. According to the Post: “When asked if the article could have been designed by Canberra, [Faizasyah] said, “That’s just a theory.”