The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has requested\nthat law enforcement regarding forest and land fires (karhutla) in\nseveral provinces be strengthened by pursuing legal action against\ncorporations and beneficial owners (BO).<\/p>\n
\u201cLaw enforcement regarding forest fires needs to be strengthened to\nreach all responsible parties and not stop at field perpetrators. The\ngovernment is obliged to identify, publicly announce, and take action\nagainst companies and beneficial owners proven to have caused or been\ninvolved in forest and land burning,\u201d stated the Chair of Komnas HAM,\nAnis Hidayah, in a press statement on Thursday (3\/9).<\/p>\n
Anis stated that case handling must be proportional, considering the\nscale, type of land, and land ownership, while respecting the rights of\nindigenous communities as recognised under Article 18B paragraph (2) of\nthe 1945 Constitution and Article 6 of Law Number 39 of 1999, including\ntraditional farming practices as recognised under Article 69 paragraph\n(2) of Law Number 32 of 2009.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny policy changes impacting such recognition must be pursued\nthrough legitimate procedures and meaningful participation from affected\ncommunities,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Anis noted that from 1 January to 21 August 2026, the National Police\n(Polri) have handled 89 reports of alleged forest fire crimes across\nnine regional police departments, naming 72 individuals as suspects.<\/p>\n
The police are also reportedly investigating the potential\ninvolvement of other parties, including financiers or corporations, by\ntracing interests and transaction flows related to the fires.<\/p>\n
\u201cKomnas HAM will continue to monitor the progress of these legal\nprocesses,\u201d said Anras.<\/p>\n
In accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business\nand Human Rights, she explained, corporations are required to conduct\nhuman rights due diligence regarding the impacts of their operations,\nincluding fire risks within their concession areas.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, she stated that the government must strengthen\nsupervision and impose sanctions on corporations that neglect these\nobligations.<\/p>\n
\u201cCentral and regional governments must take swift and coordinated\nsteps to stop forest fires by deploying all public resources to their\nmaximum potential,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Anis noted that the burden of handling these fires should not fall\nsolely on citizens and volunteers; volunteers involved must receive\nadequate training, personal protective equipment, and safety\nguarantees.<\/p>\n
Moreover, Komnas HAM requested the government to strengthen forest\nfire prevention through long-term management designs, including peatland\nhydrological restoration, verified early warning systems, air quality\nstandards based on WHO guidelines, and performance indicators subject to\npublic oversight.<\/p>\n
The government also needs to evaluate licensing and concession\nmanagement, particularly in peatland areas, and involve local and\nindigenous communities in prevention efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government must immediately fulfil the rights of affected\ncommunities to a clean and healthy environment, health, livelihood,\neducation, and psychosocial support, with special attention to\nvulnerable groups, without waiting for legal processes to conclude,\u201d\nAnis stated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe restoration of land and environments damaged by fire must also\nbe carried out, with the responsibility for restoration placed upon the\nparties proven to be responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n
The government recently stated that 19 companies in Sumatra and\nKalimantan are suspected of being the primary drivers behind forest and\nland fires in Indonesia, and these companies will be held\naccountable.<\/p>\n
Of these 19 companies, 12 suspected perpetrators are located in\nKalimantan, while seven others are in Sumatra.<\/p>\n
\u201cOverall, these 19 companies are spread across provinces in Sumatra\nand Kalimantan, with a total burnt area reaching approximately 11,046.69\nhectares,\u201d said the Deputy for Law Enforcement of the Ministry of\nEnvironment (KLH), Irjen Rizal Irawan, as quoted from a press release by\nthe Indonesian Government Communication Agency (Bakom) on Monday\n(31\/8).<\/p>\n
Specifically, seven companies are located in West Kalimantan with a\ntotal burnt area of 2,260.08 hectares. In South Kalimantan, there are\nthree companies with a total burnt area of 6,595.15 hectares, and two\ncompanies in Central Kalimantan with 99.40 hectares.<\/p>\n
Additionally, four companies are in South Sumatra with a total burnt\narea of 772.72 hectares; one in Lampung with an area of 202.73 hectares,\nand one in Riau with a recorded burnt area of approximately 7.10\nhectares.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/forest-fires-komnas-ham-demands-action-against-corporations-and-beneficial-owners-1788415174", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }