Government Strengthens Law Enforcement on Forest and Land Fires
The government faces a policy dilemma with no truly comfortable options. The Ministry of Forestry is strengthening law enforcement against forest and land fire incidents (karhutla) as an effort to suppress violations while recovering state losses. Over the past decade, the government has successfully recovered Rp6.6 trillion from various sanctions imposed on perpetrators.
Secretary of the Directorate General of Forest Law Enforcement, Lukita Awang, stated that law enforcement serves as a crucial instrument to create a deterrent effect, given that the majority of karhutla incidents are triggered by human activities.
“We carry out law enforcement firmly, both against individuals and corporations, to provide a deterrent effect and prevent recurring incidents,” Lukita said during the virtual event titled Action of the Young Generation to Prevent Karhutla on Wednesday (8/4).
Over the last 10 years, the government has imposed administrative sanctions on 1,695 legal subjects. Additionally, oversight has been conducted on 291 entities, and 1,570 legal subjects have received warning letters. The sanctions include government coercion up to the suspension and revocation of business permits.
The funds from this law enforcement, Lukita continued, are returned to support the recovery of damaged forest ecosystems due to fires.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that law enforcement in the forestry sector faces complex challenges. Karhutla cases often involve multiple actors, from individuals, organised groups, to corporations, even with cross-regional patterns. “The methods are diverse and organised. This is what makes handling them not straightforward,” he said.
Moreover, field officers also face various obstacles, such as physical resistance, psychological pressure, to counter-lawsuits against officials. Another challenge is proof in court that requires expert support and scientific validity, such as laboratory tests and forensic analysis.
To overcome this, the government is strengthening collaboration with other law enforcement agencies and forming expert forums to support the proof process in court.
On the other hand, law enforcement is accompanied by prevention and recovery approaches. The government continues to promote integrated patrols, capacity building for officers, and data-based monitoring to identify fire-prone areas.
“Law enforcement cannot stand alone. It must be supported by strong prevention and participation from all parties,” he concluded.