We didn't start the forest fires: Logging companies<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Association of Indonesian Forest
\nConcessionaires (APHI) insisted on Friday they were not
\nresponsible for the forest fires producing a thick haze
\nblanketing parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan and disrupting
\nactivity in neighboring countries.<\/p>\n
\"I categorically reject any accusations that concessionaires
\nare responsible (for the fires) or are engaged in burning the
\nforest,\" APHI deputy chief for legal affairs Reza Suarga said
\nhere.<\/p>\n
He insisted that burning the forest would only cause financial
\nlosses for concession holders.<\/p>\n
\"Every cubic meter of wood is very valuable to them\" so it
\nwould be \"stupid\" for them to burn the forest, he said, adding
\nthat almost all clearing of forests through land burning had
\nceased since 1998.<\/p>\n
He said the association welcomed the general public, the
\ngovernment and non-governmental organizations to verify these
\naccusations in the field, and that any public company found
\nburning the forest should be brought to court.<\/p>\n
As quoted by Antara, Reza said it was strange that many of the
\n\"hot spots\" were found in areas bordering the Malaysian state of
\nSarawak.<\/p>\n
There are increasing fears that the haze, which has been
\nslowly spreading, will again affect the entire region as it did
\nin 1997.<\/p>\n
Initial suspicion is that the current haze has been caused by
\nfires used to clear land in Sumatra and Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Antara reported from Medan, North Sumatra, on Friday that the
\nlatest satellite images showed the number of hot spots in the
\nprovince had decreased from 29 on Thursday to 18.<\/p>\n
It believed that rain which fell in the regencies of Labuhan
\nBatu and Tapanuli Selatan on Thursday night helped extinguish
\nmany of the fires.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile from Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, it was reported
\non Friday that apart from the outskirts of the city, haze was
\nalso beginning to blanket Banjar, Tanah Laut, Kotabaru and Kota
\nBanjarbaru regencies.<\/p>\n
However, the thin veil of haze had not reached the level where
\nit would effect daily activity or traffic.<\/p>\n
Aid<\/p>\n
From Singapore, the Associated Press reported that
\nenvironmental experts from Singapore would go to Jakarta next
\nweek to help combat the fires.<\/p>\n
Singapore has reportedly been supplying satellite images to
\nJakarta to pinpoint the fires and has set up stations to measure
\npollution levels, said Joseph Hui, the environment ministry's
\nhead of strategic planning.<\/p>\n
\"Every year we are spending S$200,000 (US$109,280) for the
\nsatellite pictures alone,\" said Hui.<\/p>\n
Satellite photos show hot spots across the Indonesian island
\nof Sumatra as well as fires in Sarawak, Malaysia, said Shen
\nChaomin of the Center for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing.<\/p>\n
Singapore officials, however, have played down concerns that
\nthe fires could cause the kind of haze problem seen in 1997.<\/p>\n
\"There is concern for the haze situation but we do not think
\nthat we will be very adversely affected,\" said Wong Teo San,
\ndeputy director of meteorological services in Singapore.<\/p>\n
Singapore's Meteorological Service Department said on Friday
\nthat the Pollutants Standard Index, or PSI, had risen to 65,
\nwhich, while not optimal, is not considered dangerous. Above 100
\nis considered the danger zone.<\/p>\n
Wong said the region would experience dry weather until
\nOctober, but intermittent rain should help contain the pollution
\nfrom the fires.<\/p>\n
Loh Ah Tuan, director of policy for the Singapore environment
\nministry, said the Indonesian government was beginning to take
\nthe fires seriously.<\/p>\n
He said Indonesian officials faced difficulties such as
\ngetting access to fire-plagued regions.<\/p>\n
The situation in Thailand and Malaysia has also improved due
\nto a change in wind direction and some rain.<\/p>\n
But in neighboring Malaysia, central Kuala Lumpur was still
\nshrouded in light-colored smoke on Friday, obscuring the hills
\nthat ring the city, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n
Malaysia's environment department reported \"unhealthy\"
\npollution levels at two centers on Thursday, down from four such
\nreadings on Wednesday. Forty-six stations around the country
\nmeasured \"moderate\" to \"very good\".<\/p>\n
The two unhealthy centers were Kuala Selangor, 50 kilometers
\nnorthwest of Kuala Lumpur, where an underground peat fire has
\nbeen burning since last week, and northern Penang state. (mds)<\/p>",
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