Indonesia identifies firms involved in forest fire
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E-mail Xinhua, June 25, 2013
Indonesian police submitted to the Environment Ministry the results of the investigations into two plantations run by Malaysian investors, which allegedly engaged in slash-and-burn land clearing in Riau province that eventually caused the worst haze in years in the province, and affected Singapore and Malaysia.
The two Malaysian firms were among eight firms identified by the ministry as responsible for the forest fire in Riau province, triggering smoke haze that disrupts flights, endangering the health of the local people and causing serious air pollution for neighboring countries of Singapore and Malaysia.
The two Malaysian investors-run plantations, PT Lagam Inti Hibrida and PT Bumi Reksa Nusa Sejati were operating in Pelalawan and Indragiri Hilir regencies in the province.
"We won't press ahead with further legal proceedings against the firms. The investigation results have been handed over to the Environment Ministry as it has its own investigators (on environment crime)," Riau police spokesperson Hermansyah said on Monday.
The ministry could use the investigation results as materials to make legal lawsuits against those firms, he added.
Indonesian Environment Affairs Minister Balthazar Kambuaya had earlier identified the eight firms funded by Malaysian investors, which were involved in slash-and-burn land clearing.
"We found fires in their concession areas. We will press ahead with legal proceeding in the court after we have enough data to file lawsuits. In the meantime, we continue coordination with Riau police and prosecutor office related to the investigation," the minister said.
He said that the ministry would also reports their finding to Malaysian Environment Ministry, and discuss with his Malaysian counterpart regarding this issue in the near future.
Meanwhile, authorities had intensified their efforts to put out the forest fire in Riau province as more hotspots were found in the province.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported that based on image sent by NOAA 18 satellite as of Monday, the hotspots have increased to 265 across the provinces.
The number of hotspots identified by the satellite has been fluctuating. On June 18 148 were identified, then the number dropped to 141 on June 19, and further reduced to 40 on June 20, and reached a lowest of 13 on June 21, but it picked up again to 92 on June 22.
Efforts to extinguish the fires were still underway from the air and on the ground.
"Three helicopters were engaged to carry out water bombing in the affected areas. They have been flying up to 37 sorties today. Efforts to incite artificial rain were also carried out by Casa 212 rain maker and the air forces' C130 Hercules that pouring NaCl on clouds in several flight sorties," BNPB spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Xinhua on Monday.
Meanwhile operation on the ground was conducted by 389 troops, police and volunteer forest fire fighters.
He said earlier that 80 percent of the fire occurred in plantations ran by plantation firms, meanwhile the remaining 20 percent occurred in the forest.
Indonesia has called in 10 aircraft to handle the forest fire extinguishing operation in Riau, allocated some 25 billion rupiah (about 2.5 million U.S. dollars) to finance the operation. The BNPB does not set clear deadline for the operation.
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