Indonesian president calls for stricter sanctions against forest fire perpetrators

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has urged for more stringent regulations and penalties against slash-and-burn land clearing, deeming the practice as "ecological terrorism" as the nation grapples with a severe wildfire crisis. Indonesia is presently experiencing its most severe wildfires in the past eleven years, exacerbated by the "super El Nino" weather conditions that are causing extreme drought in the country's forests and fields.

The islands of Borneo and Sumatra have been particularly devastated, with the hazardous smoke creating an alarming rise in respiratory issues. Transboundary pollution has also resulted in poor air quality in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia.

During a cabinet meeting, President Subianto pledged zero tolerance for those responsible for igniting the wildfires, signaling his intent to look into legal sanctions. He also suggested that the House of Representatives consider strengthening the laws, possibly classifying the act as "ecological terrorism." This serious issue was highlighted by the palace statement released late on Wednesday.

Moreover, President Subianto directed regional governments to promptly eliminate exemptions that permit smallholders to clear small patches of land via fire. He further ordered police to initiate criminal investigations against corporations found violating fire safeguards. In response to the president's statements, an Indonesian police official disclosed that 219 criminal investigations related to the fires have been initiated, with 162 suspects identified so far.

The police are also probing 95 companies, though the extent of their alleged criminal activities remains undisclosed.

To combat the fires, Indonesia has deployed over 50 aircraft for water bombing and cloud seeding operations, and Japan has also joined the efforts, providing three CH-47 Chinook helicopters. However, poor flight conditions delayed the Japanese helicopters' participation. According to government data, from January to July this year, fires affected 202,000 hectares of land. Environmental organization YKAN estimates that an additional 600,000 hectares were damaged in August alone.

Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni cautioned that the wildfires might persist until early November, despite the rainy season arriving later than expected.