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)