Presiden Amerika Syarikat, Barack Obama dan Presiden
China, Xi Jinping (U.S. President Barack
Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque – think IN
pictures @1WORLDCommunity)
SitiWanMahani - China dan beberapa negara di Asia Selatan telah
menuntut penjelasan daripada Washington atas dakwaan bahawa kedutaan Amerika
Syarikat - serta kedutaan sekutu Amerika Syarikat - telah digunakan untuk
pengawasan NSA.
Barisan diplomatik telah disebabkan oleh laporan Sydney
Morning Herald, yang berkata NSA mengumpul data di negara-negara Asia dengan
mempunyai peralatan yang dipasang di dalam kedutaan Amerika Syarikat dan juga
dalam misi diplomatik negara-negara ‘Eye 5’
yang lain, termasuk (includes) Australia, Britain dan Kanada.
Beijing berkata ia “amat bimbang” dengan berita dan
mendapatkan penjelasan dari Amerika Syarikat.
“Kami juga meminta kedutaan asing di China dan
menghormati kakitangan mereka Konvensyen Vienna . . . dan perjanjian
antarabangsa yang lain dan tidak terlibat dalam apa-apa aktiviti yang tidak
selaras dengan peruntukan status atau jawatan mereka dan membahayakan
keselamatan dan kepentingan China,” jurucakap Kementerian Luar Cina, Hua
Chunying, berkata pada hari Khamis.
Berita daripada kemudahan pengumpulan data
beroperasi di luar kedutaan di Jakarta, Bangkok, Hanoi, Bejing, dan Dili adalah
berdasarkan dokumen yang dibocorkan oleh pemberi maklumat NSA, Edward Snowden .
Berita bahawa agensi Amerika Syarikat yang menjalankan
pengintipan melalui kedutaan asing juga telah menimbulkan kemarahan di
Indonesia, dengan Menteri Luar negara, Marty Natalegawa, berkata isu itu telah
dibangkitkan dengan kuasa usaha Amerika Syarikat di Jakarta.
“Indonesia tidak boleh menerimanya dan bantahan kuat
ke atas laporan mengenai kemudahan penyadapan di Kedutaan Amerika Syarikat di
Jakarta,” kata Natalegawa dipetik oleh AP. “Jika disahkan, tindakan itu bukan
sahaja merupakan pelanggaran keselamatan, tetapi juga satu pelanggaran serius
terhadap norma diplomatik dan etika dan sudah tentu tidak dalam semangat
hubungan persahabatan antara negara-negara.”
Kegemparan ini disokong oleh negara-negara Asia yang
lain. Kerajaan Malaysia berjanji untuk menyiasat dakwaan tersebut, manakala
pihak pembangkang mengeluarkan kenyataan memanggil penyerahan bantahan dengan
Amerika Syarikat dan kedutaan Australia.
Kerajaan Thailand memaklumkan kepada Amerika
Syarikat yang mengintip adalah satu jenayah di bawah undang-undang negara,
menurut Thailand Majlis Keselamatan Negara Setiausaha Agung, Lt -Gen. Paradorn
Pattanathabutr. Rasmi menyalahkan Amerika Syarikat lebih daripada Australia,
jiran Thailand lebih dekat.
“Apabila ia datang kepada teknologi dan mekanik,
Amerika Syarikat adalah lebih pintar dan lebih maju daripada Australia,” katanya.
“Jadi, saya boleh mengatakan bahawa ia tidak benar bahawa Kedutaan Australia
akan digunakan sebagai pusat komunikasi untuk mengintip.”
Limpahan kritikan dari Asia datang pada masa apabila
Amerika Syarikat sudah di bawah tekanan yang teruk dari negara-negara Eropah,
berikutan laporan awal yang mende-dahkan skala pengawasan di sana.
Diplomat EU baru-baru ini pergi ke Washington untuk
mendapatkan penjelasan mengenai NSA mengintip. Amerika Syarikat menegaskan (US
insisted) semua risikan yang dikumpul di Eropah yang berkaitan dengan
warzones di Timur Tengah dan akan berterusan.
Ekoran skandal NSA, pemimpin EU telah dipanggil
untuk penggantungan satu perjanjian perdagangan dengan Amerika Syarikat
bernilai berbilion-bilion (worth
billions) dolar.
Uproar
in China and Other Asian Nations over ‘US spies
through Embassies’ Report . . .
China and a number of South Asian governments have
demanded an explanation from Washington over allegations that US embassies - as
well as embassies of US allies - were used for NSA surveillance.
The diplomatic row has been caused by the Sydney
Morning Herald’s report, which said the NSA collected its data in Asian
countries by having its equipment installed inside US embassies and also in the
diplomatic missions of the other ‘Five Eye’ nations, which includes Australia, Britain and Canada.
Beijing said it was “extremely concerned” by the
news and was seeking clarification from the US.
"We also demand that foreign embassies in China
and their staff respect the Vienna Convention ... and other international
treaties and not get involved in any activities which do not accord with their
status or post and harm China's security and interests," Chinese Foreign
Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said on Thursday.
The news of the data collection facilities operating
out of the embassies in Jakarta, Bangkok, Hanoi, Bejing, and Dili was based on
the documents leaked by NSA whistleblower, Edward Snowden.
The news that the US agency carried out espionage
through foreign embassies has also provoked outrage in Indonesia, with the
country’s Foreign Minister, Marty Natalegawa, saying the issue had been raised
with the US chargé d'affaires in Jakarta.
"Indonesia cannot accept it and protests
strongly over the report about wiretapping facilities at the US embassy in
Jakarta," said Natalegawa cited by AP. "If confirmed, such action is
not only a breach of security, but also a serious breach of diplomatic norms
and ethics and certainly not in the spirit of friendly relations between
nations."
The uproar was supported by other Asian nations.
Malaysia’s government promised to investigate the allegations, while the
opposition party issued a statement calling for the lodging of a protest with
the US and Australian embassies.
The government of Thailand informed the US that
spying was a crime under the country’s laws, according to Thai National
Security Council secretary general, Lt.-Gen. Paradorn Pattanathabutr. The
official blamed the US more than Australia, Thailand’s closer neighbor.
“When it comes to technology and mechanics, the US
is more resourceful and more advanced than Australia,” he said. “So I can say
that it is not true that the Australian Embassy will be used as a
communications hub for spying.”
The outpour of criticism from Asia comes at a time
when the US is already under severe pressure from European nations, following
earlier reports disclosing the scale of surveillance there.
EU diplomats recently traveled to Washington to get
explanations concerning NSA spying. The US
insisted all the intelligence gathered in Europe was related to warzones in
the Middle East and would continue.
In the wake of the NSA scandal, EU leaders have
called for the suspension of a trade pact with the US worth
billions of dollars.
READ MORE: http://on.rt.com/kj619u
