Media Release ----------------------------------------- Indonesian Anti-Nuclear Activists Deliver Messages to Japanese Government
>From July 3-9 two Indonesians opposed to their government's nuclear power plans are visiting Japan. Their visit is being sponsored by the "Muri-Muri" Campaign Committee. They will also visit South Korea from July 9-12. On July 4th and 5th, Nuruddin Amin (a local leader in the Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama in the Jepara District of Central Java, where the Muria nuclear power plant is to be built) and Nur Hidayati (climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace South-East Asia) delivered messages to the Japanese government calling on it not to support Indonesia's nuclear power plan. Meetings were held with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) (July 4th), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (July 5th) and the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry (METI) (July 5th). METI officials took the attitude that responsibility for the project rests entirely with the Indonesian government. They acknowledged no responsibility in regard to the safety of any plant constructed by Japanese companies in Indonesia and said that Japanese law does not include safety requirements for exports of nuclear power plants. Nor did they acknowledge any obligation to consider the wishes of the local population. On the other hand, JBIC's environmental and social guidelines place importance on the participation of stakeholders, including local residents and local NGOs affected by the project. Japan's main nuclear power plant makers, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toshiba and Hitachi, were contacted. A meeting with Hitachi has been arranged for Friday July 6th, but Toshiba and Mitsubishi refused to meet the Indonesian visitors. They also refused to receive petitions requesting them not to participate in nuclear power plant construction projects in Indonesia. The petitions will be sent by post instead. Profiles of Nuruddin Amin and Nur Hidayati and letters to the Japanese government and Japanese industry are available on the web site below. A translation of a petition from leaders in the local community will be posted on the site soon. http://cnic.jp/english/topics/asia/asianuke.html Journalists are invited to attend the following public meetings (in Japanese and Indonesian only). Tokyo Friday, July 6th, 6:30 ~ 8:30 pm Sophia University (Yotsuya Campus), Central Library, Room 812 (5 minutes from Yotsuya station) Osaka Sunday, July 8th, 2:00 ~ 4:00 pm Nakanoshima Chuo Kokaido Exhibition Hall (5 minutes from Yodoyabashi Station) Background It is possible that tenders will be called for a proposed nuclear power plant on the Muria Peninsula of Java as early as next year. However, the movement opposed to nuclear power in Indonesia has grown considerably recently. In June thousands of people participated in demonstrations in Central Java. It is clear that the plan to introduce nuclear power does not reflect the wishes of the people. The Japanese government's policy, as stated in its Nuclear Power National Plan, released by the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry (METI) in August 2006, is to "actively support the global development of the Japanese nuclear industry". The government's interest is motivated by the fact that Japanese nuclear power plants alone will not provide enough work to sustain Japan's nuclear industry through 2030. In 2006 METI commissioned the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) to carry out a study into the potential for introducing nuclear power to Indonesia and Vietnam. Contact: Philip White +81-3-3357-3800 (International Liaison Officer, Citizens' Nuclear Information Center)
