The go-nuclear issue<\/p>\n
Last Friday, for the third time in six months, a public debate
\non nuclear energy organized by the Indonesian Forum for the
\nEnvironment (Walhi) was canceled. This was reportedly because the
\nMinistry of Home Affairs refused to issue a recommendation for
\nthe organizers to enable them to hold the meeting. Some 50 would-
\nbe participants then marched to the House of Representatives to
\nlodge their complaints.<\/p>\n
Last week's incident must surely have raised eyebrows. Just a
\nfew weeks ago a similar incident occurred when the police
\ndispersed a crowd just minutes before a scheduled debate started.
\nThe excuse was that the organizers had failed to obtain a permit.<\/p>\n
Apparently to avoid a similar fate, last week the organizers
\nfollowed the necessary procedures, including obtaining a
\nrecommendation from the Office of the State Minister of the
\nEnvironment. Still, as it turned out, the debate failed to
\nmaterialize.<\/p>\n
The obvious question now is: Why did the authorities ban the
\ndebates? Was it because the organizers were staunch anti-nuclear
\nnon-governmental organizations, such as Walhi? Or, were the bans
\nrelated to the government's fears that such debates might
\ngenerate stronger anti-nuclear sentiment among the public?<\/p>\n
To be fair, many of us are baffled by the government's
\nseemingly dubious stance on the issue.<\/p>\n
For one thing, one could easily detect a cautious tone in
\nPresident Soeharto's remark just two weeks ago that nuclear power
\nshould be considered when all other energy sources -- including
\ncoal, water, wind and sun, which are not yet fully exploited --
\nare no longer sufficient.<\/p>\n
Yet, the President also suggested that the use of nuclear-
\npropelled power plants in Indonesia might be unavoidable in the
\nfuture to meet the ever increasing domestic energy needs. He
\nhinted at this by saying that \"we have to prepare ourselves very
\ncarefully to begin using nuclear power to meet our energy needs
\nin the future\".<\/p>\n
While President Soeharto, and also Minister of Research and
\nTechnology B.J. Habibie, have repeatedly stated that nuclear
\nenergy would be \"the last option\" to meet our energy needs, the
\nchief of the National Nuclear Power Agency (Batan), Djali Ahimsa,
\nhas repeatedly said that the government has decided to begin
\nconstructing a nuclear power plant in Ujungwatu village, close to
\nMount Muria, in Central Java, next year. The power plant, with a
\ngenerating capacity of about 800 megawatts, is expected to go
\ninto operation in 2003.<\/p>\n
The question thus is: What is to be believed?<\/p>\n
Is it possible that the President's statement that \"we have to
\nprepare ourselves to begin using nuclear power\" alludes to the
\nconstruction of the first nuclear power plant which will start
\noperating by 2003?<\/p>\n
We are of the opinion that the government should be more
\ntransparent on this issue. In this age of environmental
\nawareness, going nuclear is a sensitive and controversial issue.
\nAnd because it concerns public safety, secretiveness should be
\nset aside and as much as possible public participation should be
\ninvited. One way to achieve this is by organizing a series of
\nopen and public debates. In other words, the decision on whether
\nwe will go ahead with the construction of the nuclear power plant
\nshould rest with the public.<\/p>\n
Last month the government promised to hold a public debate
\non the issue later this year. But the fact that the authorities
\nhave banned debates organized by certain NGOs may be interpreted
\nas meaning that only a government-sponsored debate would be
\nallowed and that the general public, particularly the anti-
\nnuclear groups, are being shut off from organizing their own
\ndebates.<\/p>\n
Of course, judging from the current situation, the government
\ncould opt to simply disregard the opposition to its nuclear
\nprogram and start the construction of the nuclear power plant
\nanyway. But, then, nobody could possibly foresee what future
\nprotests or opposition might emerge.<\/p>\n
We are sure of one thing however. And that is that by putting
\nall of the cards on the table, everyone will benefit. A series of
\npublic debates will certainly provide a good and valid lesson for
\nus in our democratization process.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-go-nuclear-issue-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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