Sandra O'Malley, Canberra – Australian spies are revealing secrets to Indonesia, according to one former spy, amid revelations Indonesian agents bugged politicians, the military and Australia's Jakarta embassy.
Warren Reed, a former Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) officer, said Indonesia had successfully penetrated the heart of Australia's intelligence agencies over many decades.
His comments add fuel to revelations by outgoing Indonesian intelligence chief General Abdullah Mahmud Hendropriyono, that Indonesia ramped up efforts to gather Australian intelligence as relations became strained over East Timor.
The strain in relations was prompted by Australia's decisions to send peacekeepers to East Timor after it voted to gain independence from Indonesia in 1999.
Gen Hendropriyono, the outgoing head of intelligence agency Badan Intelijen Negara (BIN), told the Nine network Indonesian agents had tapped the Australian embassy, as well as bugging political, military and civilian targets.
"We found many evidence that our embassies abroad are tapped ... we did the same thing," he said. Gen Hendropriyono said it was common to bug authorities in hostile nations. "You know, we will always listen and see actually what's the case in our opponent," he said.
Gen Hendropriyono said Indonesia stopped spying on Australia as the two countries joined forces to combat the global terrorist threat. "Now we have put aside the administrative border because now we are encountering in this era of globalisation the same threat of [terrorism]," he said.
Gen Hendropriyono said Indonesia had never managed to get Australian agents to spy for their northern neighbour. "Almost, but not yet," he said.
But Mr Reed, who worked for ASIS for 10 years, was sure Australian spies had been working for Indonesia for many decades. "They would have been pulling plum product out of Canberra," he told Nine. "This goes into the heart of our intelligence system, and I mean, including, and I specifically add this, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS)."
Mr Reed was certain that even now some Australia spies were feeding information to Indonesia. Asked if there were still Australians working for the Indonesians, Mr Reed said: "I would believe the answer to that would have to be absolutely." He would not elaborate on his claims but urged the establishment of a truly independent royal commission to look into the issue.
Prime Minister John Howard would not discuss the espionage claims, describing Australia's relations with Indonesia as very strong.
"I neither confirm nor deny stories about those sorts of security things," he said. "Australian democracy is safe and sound and our policy on East Timor was 100 per cent correct."
But Mr Howard's perception of Australia's relationship with Indonesia was at odds with the views of former Indonesian presidents Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Sukarnoputri.
Mr Wahid said Australian meddling in Indonesia had prompted the bombing of Australia's Jakarta embassy in September, while Mrs Megawati claimed a lack of harmony in relations between the two countries.
"I really don't think we communicated openly," Mrs Megawati said. "If we are going to be more open, then, of course, we can't be so suspicious of each other."
Mr Howard indicated a keenness for a better relationship with new Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono when he flew to the inauguration of the incoming leader last month.
Labor said it would ask the government for an urgent briefing on the claims by Gen Hendropriyono. "This statement by the Indonesian authorities does raise fundamental questions about national security," opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said. "Therefore, we will be requesting urgent briefings on the accuracy of Hendropriyono's statement from the Australian government."