Indonesia reiterates thick haze apology

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto has apologized again to neighboring countries affected by haze and smoke caused by Indonesian brush and forest fires.

The country pledged to continue exploring every avenue to fight the fires, Soeharto said, ordering Armed Forces members at all levels to step up efforts to deal with the disaster.

In a speech yesterday during the Armed Forces (ABRI) 52nd anniversary celebration, Soeharto said that the fires' thick smog had adversely affected not only Indonesians, but people in neighboring countries.

"For that reason Indonesia once again sincerely asks for forgiveness," the president said.

The Indonesian government officially apologized last month, during the opening of the seventh ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Environment, to its Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) neighbors for the choking haze caused by fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan forests.

Thick smoke from fires raging across 300,000 hectares of forest has been hanging over Malaysia and Singapore during the past two months. At one stage it also reached the Philippines and Thailand.

Approximately 30,000 people in Sumatra and Kalimantan, plus tens of thousands in Malaysia and Singapore, have reportedly been suffering from respiratory illnesses and eye irritations.

Soeharto said the haze was a natural disaster of unprecedented scale facing Indonesia. He blamed the disaster partly on the scorching dry season, which came too early, and the late arrival of wet season.

"Haze has interrupted sea, land and air transportation. It has caused price hikes of daily needs in some parts of the country and food scarcity in remote areas," he said.

Last week, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Azwar Anas, who also chairs the National Disaster Management Coordinating Agency, blamed the fires on the El Nino phenomenon.

Soeharto said concerted efforts to combat the fires by people, the government and the Armed Forces had started to show results, although it would take more time to completely control the fires.

"I instruct Armed Forces members at all levels to increase the mobilization of their abilities to overcome this fire disaster," the President said.

On Saturday, deputy chairman of the Environmental Impact Management Agency, Soekardi, said satellite remote sensing had revealed declining fire spots. He said some airports officials had reported improved visibility.

The agency's data from Sept. 23 to Oct. 2 showed nine hot spots remaining in Jambi, 36 in North Sumatra, five in Lampung, six in Central Java, five in East Java, seven in West Kalimantan, 22 in Central Kalimantan, six in South Kalimantan and one in South Sulawesi.

"But the problems caused by the forest fires have yet to end, because thick haze still hangs over various provinces," Soekardi was quoted by Antara.

He said South Kalimantan, Jambi, Bengkulu, West Sumatra and South Kalimantan were the areas suffering the most from the thick haze.

Public efforts to help people affected by the haze went on over the weekend, Antara reported.

On Saturday, the Indonesian Environmental Forum sent 5,000 masks to kindergarten and elementary school pupils in Pangkalan Bun, South Kalimantan.

In Bangka, South Sumatra, state-owned tin mining company PT Timah distributed 2,000 masks to Pangkalpinang residents.

PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia, and state-owned oil company Pertamina, joined the relief actions by handing over 500,000 masks to Riau's provincial administration.

Also on Saturday, a group of volunteers calling themselves the People's Post Command for Fire Combat arrived in Tanjung Puting forest in Central Kalimantan to distribute masks, food, medical supplies and water they had collected from the public.

Those who wish to donate or want to join the mission can contact the group at Jl. Teluk Jakarta 1 in the TNI-AL housing complex, Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta. The post's phone number is 7821877, fax number 7804158, and e-mail konphal@rad.net.id.

While fire fighting continues, the government took punitive measures against companies allegedly responsible for starting the fires.

On Friday, it revoked the licenses 151 companies for violating laws against burning forests to clear land. (prb/amd)