Bill Hayden, Australia's previous Governor-General and a former Labor Party Foreign Affairs Minister (1983-88) this week published his autobiography ('Hayden: an autobiography', Harper Collins). One of the most controversial passages in it asks why Indonesia, blessed with fossil fuels, should be interested in nuclear energy. He then suggests Australia should develop a nuclear arms capacity to match this implied threat. Apparently Hayden wants Australia to start a nuclear arms race with Indonesia. He fears our neighbour's nuclear power programme may eventually produce weapons, and even hints at an Islamic bomb.
But this is dangerous talk, full of fallacies.
First, Indonesia is as active as Australia in the worldwide fight against nuclear proliferation. Indonesia put forward a major alternative to the indefinite extension of the nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty at the UN review conference last July. The proposal made extension subject to real progress in arms reduction. It followed years of diplomatic effort, opposed by both Australia and the United States. Furthermore, Foreign Minister Ali Alatas vigorously denounced the French and the Chinese tests last year. He also played an important role in ASEAN's Bangkok declaration of a Nuclear Free Zone last December, again facing US resistance.
Second, Indonesia's nuclear power programme does not enjoy the particular backing of the military. It is almost Professor Habibie's personal fiefdom. Several key sectors of the government, including the military, strongly oppose him.
Third, Indonesia's elite regards much 'Islamic', let alone 'Islamic bomb' talk with extreme suspicion. The government is too preoccupied with internal control to give a thought to ideological expansionism.
The world may be a dangerous place, and much about Indonesia makes us uneasy. But let us not add paranoia about nuclear proliferation to those concerns.
This appeared as a letter to the editor in The Australian, 6 April 1996.
Gerry van Klinken, editor, 'Inside
Indonesia' magazine.
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