Indonesia's Foreign Affairs Ministry is demanding an explanation from ambassador Greg Moriarty after media reports alleged the existence of a "tapping facility" in Australian embassies in Jakarta and other countries in the region.
"The Australian ambassador in Jakarta has been summoned to the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Friday for an official explanation from the Australian government regarding the story," a statement from the Indonesian ministry said late on Thursday night.
"As a neighbouring country and friends, such an act as has been reported does not reflect at all the spirit of friendship ... and this is something regarded by the Indonesian government as totally unacceptable."
It has been reported that surveillance collection facilities are in place at embassies in Jakarta, Bangkok, Hanoi, Beijing and Dili, and high commissions in Kuala Lumpur and Port Moresby - without the knowledge of diplomats.
Some of the details are in a secret US National Security Agency (NSA) document leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden and published by Germany's Der Spiegel magazine.
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The document reveals the existence of a signals intelligence collection program - codenamed STATEROOM - and conducted from sites at US embassies and consulates and from the diplomatic missions of other intelligence partners including Australia, Britain and Canada.
The document says the Australian Defence Signals Directorate operates STATEROOM facilities "at Australian diplomatic facilities".
A former Australian Defence Intelligence officer has told Fairfax Media the directorate conducts surveillance operations from Australian embassies across Asia and the Pacific.
