Your Letters<\/p>\n
Pavements for
\npedestrians<\/p>\n
I have been visiting Indonesia since 1976, and for the most
\npart, have ridden in chauffeur-driven cars. Very comfortable.<\/p>\n
However, recently, and now, while I am awaiting the delivery
\nof a car, I am a pedestrian. When are the town planners of
\nJakarta and other towns and cities going to wake up to the fact
\nthat this wonderful country is full of pedestrians? They get a
\nrotten deal.<\/p>\n
Billions are spent on road development with no apparent
\nthought given to the pavement or the people on foot, who
\noutnumber the cars.<\/p>\n
Proper pavements would force the Mikrolet or other minibuses
\nto keep to the road thereby avoiding weaving in and out of the
\ntraffic.<\/p>\n
Life for the pedestrian would be much more comfortable if the
\nbus stops were cleaned up, traffic control properly enforced in
\nan orderly manner, and when that has been done, the authorities
\nshould then worry about open doors.<\/p>\n
PHILIP HATCH-BARNWELL<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>\n
Nuclear
\nenergy<\/p>\n
In reference to your article Indonesia determined to go
\nnuclear despite fierce criticism published on Tuesday, April 19,
\n1994, by Stephen Carr, I need to make the following comments:<\/p>\n
1. The main reason why Indonesia has embarked on a policy for
\nthe diversification of energy, is because of the limited amount
\nof renewable sources of energy available in Indonesia in the
\nshort and long run. This would depend on their economic and
\ntechnological feasibility including environmental considerations
\nthat must be applied. \"Inexpensive conventional sources of
\nelectricity\" can also apply to nuclear energy whenever NPP is
\ncompetitive, and the same applies to solar-voltaic cells, wind
\nand other non-conventional sources. This is especially important
\nfor the island of Java and Bali, where most of Indonesia's energy
\nis being consumed, and where an optimal energy mix is urgently
\nneeded, taking into considerations the level of the environmental
\nimpacts associated.<\/p>\n
2. A nuclear power station may cost US$ 2 billion to build,
\nwhile a coal fire plant is a little bit cheaper, but to run a NPP
\nand a clean coal plant (including DESOX and DENOX) through its
\nlifetime of 30 years and more, adding operation into the amount
\nalong with maintenance and fuel costs, then we can really see
\nthat a nuclear power plant is competitive to a coal fired plant.<\/p>\n
3. \"An independent regulatory agency\" at this very moment is
\nawaiting approval by the government. We also welcome this effort.<\/p>\n
4. Aside from the human errors which were found to be the main
\ncause of the Chernobyl accident, the Chernobyl plant itself
\nlacked the safety features commonly found in reactors built by
\nthe U.S. and Europe.<\/p>\n
The Chernobyl reactor design does not have any containment,
\nbut rather compartments which are not able to prevent the release
\nof radioactivity from the reactor core. This is not the case with
\nthe U.S. and European designs, where the reactors are designed
\nwith containment, which is able to prevent the release of
\nradioactivity into the environment in normal and accident
\nsituations. In the case of the TMI accident, the containment was
\nable to prevent any release of radioactivity into the
\nenvironment.<\/p>\n
The Chernobyl reactor does not apply an inherent safety
\nphilosophy, which is the case with PWRs and BWRs designed by the
\nU.S. and Europe. The characteristic of the Chernobyl reactor that
\nis not inherent concerns the positive void coefficient, where the
\nincrease of fuel temperature will be followed by the increase of
\npower due to the number of voids in the fuel. The U.S. and
\nEuropean designs apply the negative void coefficient.<\/p>\n
5. However, the Chernobyl and also the TMI accident made the
\nindustry learn more from these accidents, and improve their
\ndesigns much better, following high standards of safety and
\nreliability.<\/p>\n
In advanced designs, some efforts have been made to increase
\nthe safety, by among other, the increase of the standard and
\nsafety level of NPP to 10-4 of the Core melt frequency per year
\nto less than 10-6 CMF per year (CMF of Chernobyl is 10-3 per
\nyear). Besides this, a passive safety philosophy is being
\napplied, a lower work load by the operator is possible, and to
\nanticipate operators' errors automation and improvements in
\nergonomics are made.<\/p>\n
Indonesia will not be using designs like the Chernobyl Plant.
\nThe technology that will be used is technology in which safety
\ncomes first.<\/p>\n
By using proven and reliable technology, supported by a sound
\noperation and maintenance system, and where safety comes first,
\naccidents like the Chernobyl accident hopefully will never happen
\nagain.<\/p>\n
SOEKARNO SUYUDI<\/p>\n
Director of Bureau for Public<\/p>\n
Acceptance and Cooperation on<\/p>\n
Science and Technology,<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>\n
Stay in
\nyour dreams<\/p>\n
World was closing-in, but only for a while.<\/p>\n
Why won't it last, once for ever?<\/p>\n
Strewn bodies, smoke-filled air, senseless killings, scary
\nseparatists.
\n(It was Bosnia, then Rwanda and Yemen now!)<\/p>\n
Sad story of Satan at his best!<\/p>\n
The world isn't ready; it may never be free from greed, with
\nonly love to breed.<\/p>\n
There's not any Eden, except in one's dreams.<\/p>\n
So sleep, sleep, little ones, as long as you can.<\/p>\n
For it could be long before you get to sleep again!<\/p>\n
So sleep, sleep, sleep, and stay in your dreams!<\/p>\n
A. KRISHNAN<\/p>\n
Surabaya, E. Java<\/p>\n
IDT program
\nand poverty<\/p>\n
From Tempo<\/p>\n
Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta, is one of Indonesia's poorest
\nvillages and is included in the IDT program (for the least
\ndeveloped villages).<\/p>\n
I came to my home village, Gunung Kidul, recently and I found
\nthe villagers including my parents complaining about unnecessary
\nfees; each family has to pay Rp 2,000 for buying administration
\nequipment for the village officials, and Rp 10,000 is collected
\nfrom each person for building a village hall.<\/p>\n
Both the fees paid have not a direct impact on their income,
\non the contrary the rule has resulted in a decrease of their
\nearnings.<\/p>\n
The villagers paid the fees in the first three months of this
\nyear, and at the same time they had to pay tax for their land and
\nbuildings.<\/p>\n
Prior to a village competition which will be hold in the near
\nfuture, the villagers believe that they will be requested to
\ndonate their money to subsidize the festival. It is really hard
\nfor them because as farmers they have irregular income.<\/p>\n
When I tried to ask about the IDT program, most of them
\nrefused to discuss it seriously. It seems that they have been
\nbored of hearing of such a program.<\/p>\n
For the villagers, the program, like other programs, is merely
\na slogan which will not change the situation. They have a strong
\nreason for being skeptical. For instance, recently they have got
\nsome reservoirs and rice aid from Ministry of Social Services,
\nbut they never receive the rice and do not know where it went.<\/p>\n
Listening to their complaints, I remember the polemic of the
\nIDT program between Prof. Sayogyo and Prof. Mubyarto. As a
\nscientist, Prof. Sayogyo is more realistic in analyzing it, but
\nhis counterpart Prof. Mubyarto as the creator of the program is
\nvery optimistic at the success of his program which costs
\nbillions of rupiah.<\/p>\n
It will be better for the government and Prof. Mubyarto to dig
\nmuch more information, especially the good will of village
\nofficials, before they enforce the very expensive program in the
\npoorest villages.<\/p>\n
If the program is not organized properly, I believe that the
\nvillagers will have to pay more money for something whose
\nbenefits are doubtful.<\/p>\n
DARMANINGTYAS<\/p>\n
Surabaya, E. Java<\/p>\n
Presidential
\nsuccession<\/p>\n
From Forum Keadilan<\/p>\n
The issue of the next presidential succession is widely
\ndiscussed although President Soeharto has been in office for one
\nyear, in this current term.<\/p>\n
A well-known analyst of the Indonesian social and political
\naffairs, Prof. Donald W. Wilson, made an interesting statement
\nabout the requirements of a future president: he\/she must be a
\nMoslem, Javanese and member of the Armed Forces.<\/p>\n
I absolutely do not agree with his version because the 1945
\nConstitution obviously states that: President of Republic of
\nIndonesia must be a native Indonesian. It means that Javanese,
\nIrianese, and other ethnic groups are eligible, as long as he has
\nhigh qualities and skills and the most important thing is that
\npeople want him or her to become their leader.<\/p>\n
The criterion for future presidents of this republic should be
\nin line with article No. 6 and paragraph No. 1, of the 1945
\nConstitution. Whoever the president is, he\/she must listen to and
\nunderstand the people's aspirations.<\/p>\n
SANUSI<\/p>\n
Banda Aceh, Aceh<\/p>\n
Do we need more
\norganizations?<\/p>\n
From Kompas<\/p>\n
Many organizations grouping intellectuals have been founded
\nrecently. This makes me, and perhaps most Indonesians, confused.
\nWhy? The answer is a question:<\/p>\n
What is the point of founding such organizations? Educational
\ndegrees and high positions in a bureaucracy or institution are
\nnot the only benchmark which shows that someone is an
\nintellectual.<\/p>\n
The duty of an intellectual or scholar is to think of what
\nthis country and society needs to maintain unity and to find a
\nway to make the people clever and so on.<\/p>\n
It would be better for all of us to dedicate our ability to
\nour society and practice the values in the state ideology
\nPancasila, such as living side by side among our fellow citizens,
\nwho profess different religions, and are of different ethnic
\nbackgrounds and cultures. I think it is more realistic to express
\nand strengthen our sense of nationality and more important than
\nsetting up an exclusive group which can break the unity and
\nintegrity of our nation.<\/p>\n
My point is that in order to build a strong sense of
\nnationality among our people and to make them clever, we don't
\nneed to join the Association of Indonesian Nationalist
\nIntellectuals (ICKI), the Association of Indonesian Moslem
\nIntellectuals (ICMI) or any other organization. Doing what each
\nof us does best is surely enough. I believe that being both a
\njournalist and lecturer, I am in a position to express concern
\nabout this republic.<\/p>\n
BUDIARTO SHAMBAZY,<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/your-letters-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }