Indonesia’s Prabowo mulls labelling wildfires as ‘ecological terrorism’
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has called for stricter regulations and sanctions against those who use slash and burn methods to clear land, as the country struggles to contain wildfires that have been raging for weeks. Indonesia is battling its most intense wildfires in 11 years, with “super El Nino” weather parching the country’s forests and fields. The islands of Borneo and Sumatra have…
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is considering labeling wildfires as "ecological terrorism," proposing stricter regulations and penalties against those responsible. The country is grappling with its most severe wildfires in a decade, exacerbated by "super El Nino" conditions that have parched forests and fields. Borneo and Sumatra have been hit hardest, with the smoke causing a surge in respiratory illnesses and air pollution in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia.
Prabowo, in a cabinet meeting, vowed zero tolerance for anyone found guilty of starting wildfires and called for the House of Representatives to tighten laws, possibly classifying the issue as "ecological terrorism." He instructed regional governments to end exemptions for smallholders who use fire to clear small plots of land and directed the police to investigate corporations violating fire safeguards.
Health records indicate that wildfire-related respiratory illnesses in seven provinces more than doubled from September to September 9, with West Kalimantan experiencing the worst effects. Indonesia has dispatched over 50 aircraft for water bombing and cloud seeding efforts, while Japan has joined the mission by providing three CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
From January to July, fires scorched 202,000 hectares, and the government estimates another 600,000 hectares were damaged in August. Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni cautioned that the wildfires might persist until early November, as the rainy season is expected to arrive later than anticipated.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
