Police too slow in probing forest fires: Minister

Police too slow in probing forest fires: Minister

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Forestry and Plantations Muslimin
Nasution criticized the police yesterday for not moving to
investigate 26 timber and plantation companies allegedly
responsible for some of the country's recent forest fires.

"The 26 companies have been reported to the police. But the
police have yet to follow up on the reports," he told
journalists.

He said the police should be taking tougher action against
companies believed to be behind forest fires.

Nasution said his office had strong evidence that the
companies had been responsible for some of the fires.

Large areas of forest in Kalimantan and Sumatra fell to forest
fires last year and early this year.

Director General of Forest Protection and Nature Preservation
Soemarsono named plantation company PT London Sumatra Plantations
as one of the alleged culprits. He declined to provide other
names.

But a source at the ministry said two other companies were
plantation firm PT Bukit Kapur Reksa and timber company PT
Sumalindo Lestari Jaya.

The source said former minister of forestry Djamaludin
Suryohadikusumo reported the alleged involvement of PT London
Sumatra in February.

The Environmental Impact Management Agency (Bapedal) had found
that the company had been illegally burning forest to clear land.

The police, however, have not taken any action regarding the
report, he said.

Soemarsono said the ministry would send another letter to the
police to urge an investigation into the allegations and for law
officials to take tougher action against forest burners.

"We can't do anything except revoke their wood-use permits.
Any further investigation has to be conducted by the police," he
said.

At least 154 wood-use permits held by 23 companies were
revoked over the last several months after the firms failed to
present documents refuting government allegations that they were
responsible for starting fires.

He said revoking wood-use permits could stop companies from
cutting trees but could not stop them from carrying out other
activities in their areas.

Last year, more than 263,000 hectares of forest and land was
razed by fires, causing Rp 132 billion in estimated financial
losses.

Early this year, forest and brush fires ravaged 510,206
hectares, 508,732 hectares of which were in East Kalimantan.
Losses are estimated at Rp 220,032 billion.

Muslimin called on Indonesian timber and plantation companies
to remain alert for a possible recurrence of widespread fires
during the coming dry season which could start in July.

"We are often negligent of the dangers of forest fires during
the rainy season. We also need to heighten public awareness on
the matter," he added.

Muslimin said forest fires could damage Indonesia's
international image should the nation fail to properly handle the
recurring problem.

"We'll be under international scrutiny over the problems of
forest fires and haze ... especially when the Commonwealth Games
come around this October," Muslimin said, referring to the major
sporting event which the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur will
host later this year. All Commonwealth nations will be in
attendance, including Britain and Australia.

He said he had instructed all timber and plantation companies
to build basins in their areas to store water for the dry season.

"We have to benefit from the La Nina weather phenomenon to
collect as much water as we can," he said.

La Nina is the reverse of the El Nio effect and is
associated with colder than normal surface temperatures in the
eastern Pacific Ocean.

The phenomenon could translate into heavy rainfall for the
country's regions hit by drought last year.

Last year's El Nio-related effects were reportedly the most
severe in 50 years, aggravating the forest fires in Sumatra and
Kalimantan. (gis)