DHAKA: Australia and the United States mounted a joint surveillance operation on Indonesia during the 2007 United Nations climate change conference in Bali, a report said on Sunday.

The Guardian newspaper’s Australian edition cited a document from US whistleblower Edward Snowden showing Australian spy agency the Defence Signals Directorate worked alongside America’s National Security Agency (NSA) to collect the phone numbers of Indonesian security officials.

The revelation is likely to exacerbate already strained relations with Jakarta after reports last week that Canberra’s overseas diplomatic posts were involved in a vast US-led surveillance network.

Missions in Indonesia, as well as embassies or consulates in China, were reportedly used to monitor phone calls and collect data, sparking demands for an explanation from Jakarta and Beijing, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 2051 HRS, NOV 03, 2013
RoR/RK