Government criticized nuke plant announcement

JAKARTA (JP): Anti-nuclear activists were angered yesterday over the government's announcement that construction of a nuclear power plant would start in 2006.

The activists accused State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie of inconsistency, saying the announcement Tuesday reneged his earlier vow that nuclear power would be the country's last option.

Habibie said less than two months ago that even if Indonesia decided to take the option, construction would not begin before 2030.

President Soeharto enacted last Thursday the law on nuclear power, which provides the legal basis for the establishment of a nuclear power plant.

Habibie said Tuesday construction of the country's first nuclear power plant on the slopes of a dormant volcano in Jepara, Central Java would start in 2006.

Legislator Laksmiari Priyonggo of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) faction questioned the secrecy shrouding the government's decision to make construction of a nuclear power plant a priority.

"The government had earlier pledged to make nuclear the last energy source option. But it turned out that it has continued the campaign for nuclear energy," she said.

Laksmiari walked out of a House of Representatives plenary session that endorsed the nuclear power bill on Feb. 26, saying that the session's attendance did not meet the quorum to pass a bill.

An activist of the Anti-nuclear Society (MANI), Dian Abraham, accused the government of paying lip service when Habibie said the bill would not legitimate the nuclear power plant.

The remarks served only to appease public fear and halt controversy over the nuclear power plant, Dian said. "Public skepticism over the government's real intention at the time was proved to be realistic," Dian said.

Dian said the government should first revise the bill before making it into law. "The right to decide on the use of nuclear power should be given to the people," he said.

He said that Indonesian people are culturally not ready to respond to any potential effects of such sophisticated technology.

"Many people were scared when an earthquake jolted the city, even though everybody knows that this country is prone to earthquakes," he said.

Another PDI legislator, Marcel Beding, questioned the necessity of the nuclear law, saying that Indonesia is not competing against other countries in nuclear energy appliance.

He also questioned the speedy enactment of the law. He said the law on broadcasting, which the House passed earlier, was more urgent as Indonesia faced imminent threats from global media.

Marcel chaired the House's special committee deliberating the bill on broadcasting which the House endorsed early in December.

"Its strange that an important bill takes such a long time to be passed into law," he said.

He admitted that his committee wasted a lot of time finding appropriate terms, rather than discussing more substantial matters of the bill. (amd)