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Updated Wednesday, March 30, 2011 11:24 am TWN, By Kavi Chongkittavorn, The Nation (Thailand)/Asia News Network

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ASEAN rethinking nuclear energy use

Since the no-nuke treaty was focused primarily on preventing nuclear attacks and the introduction of nuclear weapons in the region, there is a renewed urgency to focus on the peaceful use of nuclear energy in ASEAN—to discuss the issue more openly to find common ground, policies norms and standards.

During the ASEAN foreign ministerial meeting in Hanoi last April, the report of Burma's ambition to build nuclear bombs was discussed but without any major decision. Thailand wanted an assurance from Burma that any future use of nuclear power would be strictly for civilian use and could be monitored by international agencies such as International Atomic Energy Agency. At that meeting, Bangkok surprised ASEAN colleagues with a two-page list of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Thailand urged the ASEAN members to be transparent with its nuclear power policies, and they called for an increased exchange of information among governments and energy regulators.

As part of the continued effort, dozens of energy regulators from six ASEAN countries (Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei) met in Bangkok last week and agreed that from now on they have to coordinate more on their energy demand management and plans to ensure energy sufficiency and safety.

As is well known, the discussion on nuclear energy, especially the construction of nuclear power plants and their sites, remains highly sensitive and has been confined so far within the national boundaries. Vietnam has made the decision to build two nuclear power plants in the central region in Ninh Thuan with Japan's assistance while Indonesia and Thailand, despite their huge and urgent energy demands, struggle over locations and providers. Obviously, in a more democratic country, there would be more political and geographical challenges that need to be addressed and overcome, especially from burgeoning civil society groups.

In the case of Thailand, the country's Power Development Program has made clear it would need five nuclear power plants with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts each beginning 2020. In response to Japan's nuclear crisis, Energy Minister Wattana Channukul said the program would be reviewed. Last week, the residents and environmentalists from Uban Ratchatani were first to react by writing a letter to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva urging him to halt the construction plan. Uban Ratchatani is one of the five locations including Nakhon Sawan, Trat, Surat Thani and Chumporn selected for a feasibility study.

Thailand aside, ASEAN must get its act together on a common region-wide nuclear power plan in which all stakeholders in the ASEAN community of 600 million people get involved.

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