Indonesian lawmakers back crackdown on forest fire masterminds

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2 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian police’s pledge to prosecute not only field operators but also masterminds and financiers behind forest and land fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra has won support from a senior lawmaker.

Habiburokhman, head of the House of Representatives’ Commission III, said field workers were often victims or laborers, while corporations and financiers profiting from burned land escaped scrutiny.

“Following the money and taking firm action without exception aligns with the reform agenda for fair law enforcement,” Habiburokhman said in a statement in Jakarta on Monday.

He said police should also prosecute those making financial gains from forest and land fires, stressing that enforcement must address the root causes.

He also praised proactive prevention measures by police, including the construction of 1,296 reservoirs and 834 canal blocks in fire-prone areas.

The measures demonstrated police commitment to President Prabowo Subianto’s directive for all units to make maximum efforts to stop and prevent forest and land fires, he said.

“Building water infrastructure is tangible evidence of precision policing that directly helps mitigate the annual smoke disaster,” Habiburokhman said.

He said Commission III would continue supporting and overseeing police efforts, from prosecuting environmental offenders to pursuing sustainable mitigation measures to protect communities and ecosystems.

Previously, the police Criminal Investigation Department has named 72 people suspects in alleged forest and land fires investigated across nine provincial police jurisdictions.

Criminal Investigation Department Director Brigadier General Mohammad Irhamni said the suspects were identified during investigations into 89 police reports across the nine jurisdictions.

“These nine provincial police departments have conducted investigations, with about 72 individuals named as suspects,” Irhamni said at a news conference in Jakarta on Sunday (Aug. 23).