Suharto to decide on first nuclear plant

By Omar Sari SEMARANG, Indonesia — If officials in Jakarta consider that nuclear power plants are really safe, they should build one in the Indonesian capital city, outspoken academic Arief Budiman said on February 3 amid growing speculation that the Suharto government was about to make the final decision on whether or not to go nuclear. "If the government is guaranteeing that a nuclear power plant is safe, then why can't they build it in Jakarta?", the sociologist said. National Atomic Agency chief Djali Ahimsa, whose office is leading the nuclear study, said the government is looking at only one site for the country's first nuclear power plant, on Mt Muria in the Jepara regency, Central Java. Arief pointed out that the plan has never been on the agenda of the Central Java legislative council, which means that the government had never consulted the local people. Djali in the past two weeks has been making public statements indicating that the government would soon accept proposals from foreign contractors to build a 1800 megawatt nuclear power plant in Jepara. His remarks were made although the government has not made a public decision on whether to resort to nuclear energy. The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) published on February 2 a survey which found that almost 80% of the 1000 people polled oppose nuclear power plants. Arief noted that the government appeared to be trying to monopolise the flow of information regarding its nuclear energy plans, and silence its critics.It should be more honest and allow the public complete access to information about nuclear energy. "It is the people who should decide this issue", he said. Arief said most advanced industrial countries are already abandoning nuclear energy. "It's strange that Canada is making an offer. Their own people have rejected nuclear power plants."
[From IndCEE Network.]