House backs law enforcement on forest fires to create deterrent effect
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The House of Representatives supports the government’s law enforcement measures in forest and land fire cases to create a deterrent effect for perpetrators.
Deputy Speaker of the House Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal commended the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Indonesian National Police, which has named 72 suspects in connection with forest and land fires in nine regions.
“We support the government in enforcing the law properly, so that it becomes a deterrent and no more groups seek to instantly seize forest land by burning,” he said when met at the parliamentary complex in Senayan, Jakarta, Monday.
He said the forest and land fire problem, which occurs year after year, must not be tolerated. Its impact is felt not only by communities in the fire locations but also by surrounding areas and even neighbouring countries.
In addition to law enforcement, Cucun also supported the Home Affairs Ministry’s instruction for regional heads to prohibit land clearing by burning, including for customary reasons.
“We anticipate the worst,” he said.
The Directorate of Specific Crimes at the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency has named 72 people as suspects in alleged forest and land fire cases handled by nine regional police forces.
Director of Specific Crimes Brigadier General Mohammad Irhamni said the naming of suspects resulted from the handling of 89 police reports spread across nine regional police forces.
The regional police forces include Aceh, South Sumatra, Jambi, Riau, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan and North Kalimantan.
“These nine regional police forces have carried out investigations and inquiries with approximately 72 individual suspects named,” Irhamni said at a press conference in Jakarta, Sunday (23/8).
The method found in a number of these cases was dominated by land clearing through deliberate burning. This method was chosen because it is considered cheaper and more economical than other land clearing methods.
According to Irhamni, the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency is not only investigating perpetrators on the ground but also tracing the possibility of other parties who ordered, funded or profited from the burning activities.
Investigators will examine financial transaction flows to determine whether the burning was carried out for personal interest or involved other parties, including the possible involvement of corporations.
“Both corporations and individuals will be pursued and subjected to firm law enforcement,” he said.