Nuruddin Amin ("Gus Nung" - from Jepara district)
Nur Hidayati ("Yaya" - from Jakarta)
Message from Nuruddin Amin
I have been campaigning against the Muria nuclear power plant ever since the 1990s, when Indonesia was still under the Suharto dictatorship. At the time, I was active with the Jogjakarta based NGO, LKiS (Institute for Research on Islam and Society). I was also a freelance journalist. I was born in Jepara Regency, where the site of the proposed Muria nuclear power plant is located, and was very interested in supporting the movement opposing this plant.
The majority of the people in Jepara Regency are supporters of the largest Islamic organization "Nahdlatul Ulama" (NU) and I was connected with NU. Along with my friends in Nahdlatul Ulama Youth Organization (GMNU), I appealed to the executive of NU in Central Java Province for the Ulama (scholars of Islamic Law) to oppose the Muria nuclear power plant. As it happened, at the time the representative of the NU Executive in Central Java was my father, KH Amin Sholeh. Also the President of NU, Abdurrahman Wahid, was opposed to nuclear power, so the Ulama resolutely opposed the nuclear power plant. Wahid went so far as to promise that if construction of the Muria nuclear power plant went ahead, he would fast at the foot of Mount Muria.
Along with GMNU branches in several towns, and friends from the Committee of Jeparans resident in Jogjakarta (KJY) and the Foundation Pangudi Luhur (YPL) in Jepara, we held numerous discussions, and showed films opposing nuclear power to residents of the site of the Muria nuclear power plant. We also printed the lyrics of an anti-nuclear song on T-shirts and stickers. For this reason, we and our families were threatened by the security police.
Our activities opposing nuclear power were supported by anti-nuclear movements at both national and international levels. In those days, we frequently worked in cooperation with Friends of the Earth Indonesia (WALHI). I myself was a member of the organizing committee for the No Nukes Asia Forum (NNAF) seminar held in Jogjakarta in 1996. Speakers included Liek Wilarjo (Physics lecturer at Satya Wacana Christian University) and George Junus Aditjondro (Lecturer in Social Studies at the same university).
These days we are strengthening the solidarity of the grass roots opposition (particularly among supporters of NU) to the Muria nuclear power plant through discussions, reciting of the Koran and Sermons at Friday prayers in the Mosque. In future we hope to carry out intensive training, so that the people can organize themselves in opposition to the Muria nuclear power plant.
We hope that the governments of Japan and Korea will respect the will of the people, who are strongly opposed to the Muria nuclear power plant. Our wish is that the Muria nuclear power plant plan will be cancelled.
Message from Nur Hidayati
(climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace South-East Asia)
We are now in the process of expanding the movement in opposition to Indonesia's nuclear power plan. Local groups have been conducting large demonstrations in opposition to the nuclear power plan since late May. At the national level also, we are working hard to inform the general public about nuclear power through a road show and actions at nuclear industry meetings. We are now making plans to strengthen the movement at both the local and national levels. Our visit to Japan and Korea is part of this campaign. We hope that a strong network of people opposed to nuclear power will be formed in Asia.
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