NU Strictly Rejects PLTN Development Plan In Indonesia In Today's Memory, March 28, 2011

Illustration - Nuclear Power Plant (PLTN). (Between/HO-Special/pri)

JAKARTA Memories of today, 13 years ago, March 28, 2011, the General Chairperson of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board, Said Aqil Siradj rejected the plan to build a Nuclear Power Plant (PLTN) in Indonesia. He does not believe the government can guarantee the security of the PLTN.

Previously, the kiai from NU had spoken out loud regarding the rejection of the PLTN development. They think the government has not been able to manage radioactive waste well. This attitude was expressed through the issuance of the PLTN haram fatwa.

The government's plan to build PLTN in the Muria Peninsula area, Jepara, Central Java was flooded with criticism. Criticism does not only come from politicians to experts. Kiai who are members of NU participated in throwing criticism regarding the PLTN development plan since 2007.

This rejection is not an act of absence. The NU Kiai had previously collected expert opinions from the pros and cons PLTN. They have also heard directly about the PLTN from the Minister of Research and Technology, Kasmayanto Kadiman.

Conclusions were drawn. Kiai considers that PLTN is indeed able to provide energy needs. However, the harm is no less numerous. The Indonesian government is considered unable to provide security guarantees from PLTN. Active radio waste management affairs, especially.

This condition can make all Indonesian people victims of exposure to PLTN radiation. NU's refusal cannot be contested. In fact, NU even issued a fatwa against PLTN. They asked the government to act wisely and not to ignore the affairs of the people's lives.

The government does not need to dedicate PLTN as the main example of providing energy needs. The government is asked to be more creative by utilizing existing resources, from wind power plants to sunlight.

KH Kholurohman, Chairman of the Perumus Team, explained that the PLTN project contains maslahah and mafsadah aspects. PLTN's benefit is estimated to be able to provide national energy needs of two-four percent. While the mafsadah aspect, the PLTN project must produce radioactive waste whose ability to secure security is doubtful.

Thus, the principle of avoiding mafsadah must come first. Before arguing on the basis of fiqih, the kiai received input from a number of experts, both anti-PLTN and Pro-PLTN, including input from the Minister of Research and Technology Kusmayanto Kadiman," Sohirin explained in his writing in Tempo Newspaper entitled NU Haram PLTN Muria (2007).

A number of protesters who are members of the Muria Community Forum (FMM) brought posters against the construction of PLTN on the Muria Peninsula, Central Java, during a demonstration in Jepara, Central Java, Tuesday (5/6/2007). (Between/ Nazzarudin/mes/07)

The rejection was successful for several years. However, the plan to build PLTN then became increasingly inflamed in early 2011. NU's resistance to the PLTN development plan is increasingly emerging. Moreover, with the accident at PLTN Fukushima in Japan due to the tsunami on March 11, 2011.

Japan, which is known as a technology country, is unable to guarantee the security of PLTN. This fact continues to make NU inflame its rejection. The general chairman of PBNU, Said Aqil Siradj, expressed his rejection on March 28, 2011.

He considers that the Indonesian government is not ready to build PLTN. Aqil does not believe that the government can be disciplined in maintaining the safety of nuclear reactors.

We do not lack smart people, but the security discipline is still weak. For this PLTN, we ask the government to cancel it. There is no guarantee from a security perspective for the impact of nuclear hazards, so long as there will also be fear in society which leads to rejection.

"NU once issued a fatwa ban on the development of PLTN in Indonesian territory during the leadership of Hasyim Muzadi. This has also been conveyed to the President," said PBNU General Chair Said Aqil Siradj at the closing of the Plenary Meeting of the National Working Conference (Mukernas) of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Boarding School at the Krapyak Bantul Islamic Boarding School, Yogyakarta, as quoted on the Tempo.co page, March 28, 2011.