The directive was issued during a hybrid limited cabinet meeting on\nWednesday (September 16), where the President received the latest report\non forest and land fire mitigation efforts in Sumatra and Kalimantan, as\nwell as strategies for the next month and a half\u2014a period identified as\nhighly vulnerable to fires.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have asked the State Secretary (Prasetyo Hadi) and Minister of Law\n(Supratman Andi Agtas) to examine the legal sanctions, and perhaps we\nshould ask the House of Representatives (DPR) to strengthen the laws\u2014so\nthat we can classify this as \u2018ecological terrorism\u2019,\u201d Prabowo said in a\nstatement issued on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The President stressed that the strategy is a very serious matter,\nand he also instructed Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian to\nimmediately review regional regulations that allow land clearing by\ncontrolled burning.<\/p>\n
He rejected traditional slash-and-burn practices as a justification\nfor land clearing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have said there should be no excuses regarding \u2018local wisdom\u2019 or\nthe like\u2026 I consider those to be mere excuses,\u201d the President said,\nadding that the government would assist local farmers with land clearing\nservices so that use of fire could be eliminated.<\/p>\n
Related news: Indonesia suspends 26 corporate licenses amid wildfire\ncrackdown<\/p>\n
The directive comes as authorities prepare for a period of heightened\nfire risk across vulnerable provinces expected to last about one and a\nhalf months.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, multi-agency law enforcement operations against\nnon-compliant corporations have intensified across eight provinces, with\nKalimantan accounting for the largest share of affected concessions.<\/p>\n
As part of these measures, the Ministry of Forestry has suspended the\nbusiness licenses of 26 companies, mandating that they undertake\nenvironmental restoration in the affected areas.<\/p>\n
Regulatory actions expanded further as the Ministry of Environment\nsealed off concession sites belonging to 50 business entities, covering\na total burned area exceeding 27,333 hectares.<\/p>\n
On the criminal enforcement front, the Indonesian National Police\n(Polri) initiated legal proceedings against eight corporations, while 18\nother companies remain under active investigation for their suspected\ninvolvement in the blazes.<\/p>\n
Related news: Govt seals 50 companies over forest, land fires across\neight provinces<\/p>\n
Translator: Genta Tenri Mawangi, Yashinta Difa<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/prabowo-calls-for-tougher-sanctions-over-forest-fires-1789647791", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }