TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN), said that 70 percent of Indonesians are in favour of the peaceful utilization of the country's nuclear energy potential.

"BATAN has conducted a survey and found that 70 percent of Indonesians wants the country's nuclear potential to be developed to be used to further develop the nation, as well as to promote world peace," said BATAN's Chief Prof. Dr. Djarot Sulistio Wisnubroto at Hotel Maleo Mamuju on Thursday, October 30, 2014.

Prof. Wisnubroto explained that the remaining 30 percent are opposing nuclear development due to worries about the negative impacts that nuclear energy may pose.

"The survey was done by an independent body without a particular vested interest. As such, we hope that in the future, the government would invest in developing Indonesia's nuclear potential to advance its' developmental interest, rather the embracing nuclear energy for the purposes of warfare," said Prof. Wisnubroto.

He also said that BATAN is currently synchronising its' nuclear research activities with all 34 provincial governments across Indonesia, and orienting their activities to benefit national development.

"Nuclear energy should be used for the benefit of plenty of other sectors, such as agriculture, farming, and fisheries, in order to increase production output as well as quality, which will undoubtedly benefit all cross-sections of the society in Indonesia," said Prof. Wisnubroto.

Currently, according to him, BATAN is coordinating with Yogyakarta's College of Nuclear Technology (STTN) to prepare the human resources required to advance and develop Indonesia's nuclear potential.

"Currently, there are 2,800 researchers that are affiliated with BATAM - down from a peak of 4,000 during President B.J Habibie's era. Many of them have since retired, and we're preparing the next generation of researchers at Yogyakarta's STTN," said Prof. Wisnubroto.

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