DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTEGRATED NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL SECURITY SYSTEM IN INDONESIA

The introduction of nuclear power has been attempted several times in the past, but for various reasons still without success, the last concerted exercise being in 1996, which unfortunately, due to the national economic crisis, was still met with failure. Nevertheless, the action led to the introduction of the State law No. 10 / 1997 on “Nuclear Energy”, which in turn gave birth to BAPETEN (Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency) in 1998. This national agency BAPETEN is the highest authority in charge with the formulation and implementation of national policy, strategies and programs to ensure that nuclear energy users or operators in the country comply with the national and commonly accepted international standards, rules and procedures on safety, security and safeguards. Increasing threats of terrorism – in particular after the event on 11th September 2001, followed by a series of bomb explosions in Indonesia detonated by persons presumably associated with the radical groups – have triggered BAPETEN to give a serious attention to the nuclear and radiological security in the country. An explosion of a “dirty bomb” in Indonesia, no matter small, for example, would most probably create a very negative psychological and political impact in the mind of the people. In view of the above, BAPETEN is currently spearheading the development of a national system of nuclear and radiological security, foreseen to be embedded in the overall national security system. Networking with the relevant national as well as international agencies and institutions will be developed, in an effort to set up the necessary regulatory framework and infrastructure, develop the necessary human resources as well as the required scientific-technological support, and finally an effective and efficient system, capable of detecting, preventing and responding to threats to and breaches of nuclear and radiological security in Indonesia. The paper will present a brief summary of the considerations which have led BAPETEN to the concept of the integrated national nuclear and radiological security system, the progress achieved so far, the difficulties and obstacles currently faced as well as efforts to overcome them, and finally an outline of the envisaged program of actions.