Dudung: Forest and land fire handling must be swift and firm

Presidential Chief of Staff General (Ret.) Dudung Abdurachman has stressed that the handling of forest and land fires (karhutla) must be carried out swiftly, in a coordinated manner, and firmly against lawbreakers.

“President Prabowo Subianto has already emphasised that the handling of forest and land fires must be carried out swiftly, in a coordinated manner, and firmly; parties proven to have violated the law must be dealt with firmly,” Dudung said in an official statement quoted in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Dudung said the Government is paying serious attention to forest and land fires occurring in a number of regions, because the fires have an impact on public health and safety.

“Forest and land fires cause disruption to public health and safety. The smoke haze affects children and the elderly in particular, as well as all levels of society in general,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment has recorded that around 335 companies holding concessions in Sumatra and Kalimantan have areas where fire hotspots have been detected and fires have occurred, with nearly 85,000 hectares of land burned.

Dudung reminded everyone not to judge parties suspected of involvement before the examination and legal process has been completed.

“We must not judge before the examination process is complete, but if it is later proven that there was an element of intent or a violation, then the law must be enforced firmly. No one may be immune to the law,” he said.

The Presidential Staff Office will continue to oversee cross-agency coordination in handling forest and land fires, including the central government, regional governments, BNPB, the TNI, and the National Police.