Prabowo orders police to act against corporations behind land fires

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3 hours ago

If necessary, we should immediately revoke all their permits, Right to Cultivate (HGU), and others.

Jakarta (ANTARA) – President Prabowo Subianto has instructed the Indonesian National Police (Polri) to take legal action against corporations involved in forest and land fires, including those suspected of deliberately burning land to clear it for plantations.

Speaking during a cabinet meeting on disaster response, which was monitored online from Jakarta on Monday, Prabowo asked that the identities of suspected corporations be investigated and reported directly to him.

“I find it concerning how land that burns down turns into plantations in a very short time. This is clearly deliberate, and we need to know whether it’s done by locals or corporations,” Prabowo said.

Polri Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo reported that police have named 138 suspects in 200 police reports related to the fires. Of these, 119 people are suspected of deliberately setting fires, while 19 others have been identified as allegedly negligent.

Polri is pursuing legal action against eight corporations while investigating 18 companies whose permits were frozen and 42 whose licenses were revoked to determine whether potential criminal offenses were committed.

President Prabowo instructed Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni, Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Minister Nusron Wahid, and the Forest Area Enforcement Task Force to investigate corporate involvement in the fires.

“If necessary, we should immediately revoke all their permits, Right to Cultivate (HGU), and others. This has gone too far, and I want to know who actually owns these corporations,” he said.

The president underscored the importance of uncovering the owners behind these companies to ensure that enforcement extends beyond field operators.

During the meeting, Prabowo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening its disaster response, including to floods and landslides in parts of Sumatra, the earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara, forest and land fires, and volcanic eruptions.

Specifically regarding forest and land fires, Prabowo called on officials to strengthen preparedness by prioritizing mitigation and preventive measures rather than acting only after fires break out.

He also urged the expansion of firefighting fleets and equipment, including helicopters, water pumps, fire trucks, and other essential equipment, to boost readiness before fires break out.