JAKARTA: Hundreds of Indonesians protested at an Australian war memorial on Borneo island yesterday, in the latest show of anger over allegations of spying that have sparked a diplomatic crisis.
The continued public fury came despite an easing of tensions between the leaders of Australia and Indonesia, who have pledged to rebuild ties following the worst breakdown in relations for years.
In Balikpapan on Borneo, some 500 demonstrators from the nationalist Red and White Front expressed outrage at the claims Australian spies targeted the phones of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife and ministers in 2009.
Dressed in military-style uniforms, the protesters gathered at an Australian World War II memorial, calling for a boycott of Australian products and an end to bilateral cooperation. Australian troops fought near Balikpapan against Japanese forces during the war. “We think the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been very hypocritical. He thinks it’s OK to spy on Indonesia but do business with us,” Z group spokesman Rona Siregar said. AFP
