Below is an except from an Asia Times Online article "Asia’s tigers eye nuclear future" by Geoffrey Gunn.

annotations are typed in italics.

Top down versus bottom up

In 2005 Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of natural gas and long an oil exporter, announced that it was proceeding with the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant. This is to be sited on the Miura peninsula, actually the slopes of a dormant volcano, on the northeast coast of central Java.

Originally announced in 1995 under the Suharto regime (and the hobby horse of future President then Minister of Technology B J Habibie), but shelved owing to public opposition as much as to the effects of the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98, the project involves construction of four 1,000 megawatt plants, down from the 12 originally planned. Construction is to begin in 2010 with completion slated for 2017. A site on Madura island has also been identified for a separate reactor. Reportedly, a new constellation of business and political figures are behind the enthusiasm for Madura, including vice president Yusuf Kalla.

Nevertheless, criticism of the project has emerged from legislators, academics, a broad section of public opinion and vocal local residents. Unstable geology and environmental concerns are stated as reasons for objection, while critics also contend that Indonesia is blessed with many alternative untapped sources of power including thermal. Such vocal environmental groups as WALHI, or the Indonesian Forum for Environment, argue that even a small radioactive leak could potentially affect tens of millions of people in one of the most densely populated places in the world. [13] This showed that creating a nuclear power plant had invited much criticism and controversy in the country and the world. All these criticism are based on mainly the negative effects and dangers of a nuclear power plant. These negative effects do not only target Indonesia alone, but also other countries in the world, like for example, a small radioactive leak could pose as a hazard to other densely populated areas. Furthermore, Indonesia need not have to depend on a nuclear power plant for a source of power, as Indonesia ahd other alternative, less hazardous, sources of power. This brought even more criticism from local people and other environmental groups in other countries.

In June 2007, some 4,000 demonstrators against the project rallied at the central Javanese site, including a local chapter of Greenpeace. In October, 100 clerics and scholars from the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia, Nahdatul Ulama, descended on the site and, after deliberations, issued a fatwa declaring the Muria site haram or forbidden, albeit more on pragmatic than strictly religious grounds. [14]

According to a Stockholm International Peace Research Institute SIPRI report, Indonesia has largely succeeded in creating an "indigenous fuel cycle". Although conducted only at the laboratory level, evidence indicates that Indonesia is active in uranium milling, processing and conversion. Its nuclear research program spans five decades. Three research reactors are in operation with a fourth planned. Indonesia hosts at least two uranium mines capable of supplying sufficient yellowcake to service domestic needs for planned reactors. While Indonesia operates under IAEA safeguards, SIPRI’s stated concern is that given the questionable security of the management of nuclear waste, "it is conceivable that terrorist organizations could utilize its spent waste in a radiological device ('dirty bomb')". [15] This paragraph further addresses the problems that a nuclear power plant could bring, like a possible weapon for terrorist organisations.

Perhaps of greater concern is the combination of unstable geological conditions and dubious safeguards to control the technology. While Indonesia appears to be committed to the peaceful development of nuclear energy, an indigenous route to power plant construction is not in the cards. In August 2003, Indonesia signed a 10-year nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia, which includes construction of a research reactor and a power reactor. General Electric, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Areva of France and Toshiba are all also lining up as potential contractors. Back in 1994, Japanese consultants conducting a feasibility study cleared the way. Indonesian firm Medco Energi Internasional, with links to Vice President Kalla, has signed a preliminary contract with Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co Ltd to build the plant. But as Australian journalist Tom Hyland reports, "Details of the deal are secret, adding to unease in a country where corruption remains endemic." He adds that even though power generation has devolved to the province level, nuclear power remains the last of the Suharto-era big projects imposed from above. [16]

Back in 1994 major criticism of the project came from Australian experts in the field (although not the Australian government) owing to concerns of a potential accident, especially as monsoon winds would expose northern Australia to radioactive fallout. On the other hand, it would not be surprising if Indonesia had concerns that Australia would acquire or produce nuclear weapons, especially as successive conservative governments held to that option through until the early 1970s, a debate revisited in recent years. [17]

As Richard Tanter has summarized, "The consequences of Indonesia and Australia pursuing their somewhat non-rational approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle could have very negative consequences for people who are already suspicious of each other." [18] This showed that the writer believes that the nuclear power plant would add on to the conflicts between countries due to suspicions, and thus the building of nuclear power plant should not be encouraged.

From: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JB15Ae03.html