Police urged to probe forest fires

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) called on police yesterday to initiate a criminal investigation into allegations by the government that 177 companies have started various forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Walhi executive director Emmy Hafild cited the 1984 Environmental Law and Article 187 of the Criminal Code on deadly arson as the basis for initiating the investigation.

The 1984 law allows for up to 10 years' imprisonment for polluters and a Rp 100 million (US$33,300) fine, while the deadly arson article carries up to life imprisonment.

The haze coming from massive forest fires continued to worsen yesterday in Indonesia, as well as neighboring Malaysia and Singapore, posing serious health hazards besides disrupting flight services and economic activities.

The government must "show greater commitment" in dealing with the problem by getting tougher with plantation and timber companies, Emmy said.

The Association of Muhammadiyah Students also called for tougher government action, saying the companies should be forced to pay a huge amount in compensation for economic losses as well as disruptions caused to people.

Fires are estimated to have ravaged about 300,000 hectares of forest in the last three months.

The government has given 177 companies a 15-day ultimatum to disprove satellite images showing hot spots near their plantations, suggesting that fires started in their respective areas.

Those who fail to prove their innocence will have their operating licenses revoked.

Emmy did not rule out a class action suit by her organization.

"If the police fail to act, Walhi will be ready to bring the companies to court. We believe in upholding the law, and in teaching them a lesson not to disobey rules," she said.

Walhi would give police two weeks before filing its complaint with police, she said.

Separately the government showed signs that it would take sterner action against companies when Attorney General Singgih ordered all the high prosecutor offices and the district prosecutor offices, in coordination with police, to investigate forest fire cases.

"I have instructed them (to investigate the case) because the fire has caused severe air pollution," he said, citing that the forest burners could be charged with the criminal act, civil act and state administrative act.

Antara reported that the haze in Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau province, became thicker, bringing visibility on the highway to Dumai down to almost zero. There were no reports of accidents but traffic was significantly slowed down by the haze.

A motorist said it took him 15 hours -- five hours longer than normal -- to get from Pekanbaru to Medan in North Sumatra.

Haze worsened in Hulusungai Selatan, Hulusungai Tengah, Hulusungai Utara and Tabalong regencies, all in South Kalimantan, the news agency said.

Emmy said Indonesia should feel ashamed for its failure to contain the problem within its borders.

"We no longer seem to have any pride," she said. "We must think of the millions of children in Kalimantan, Sumatra, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur who are now suffering."

Noting the apology that President Soeharto made this week to Indonesia's neighbors for the haze, Emmy said it should be followed up with concrete actions.

She said State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja appeared to be waging a lone battle, receiving little support from other government agencies.

"We are very concerned that Minister Sarwono, whose office doesn't have any facilities to send fire departments to put out the fires, has been alone in looking for solutions.

"Other ministries which are more responsible for the fires have not followed in Sarwono's footsteps. We can't simply sit and wait for rain, which will only come in two months' time," Emmy said.

She said the Air Force could deploy planes to douse the fire from the air with water bombs.

The government should have enough money to fight forest fires, she said.

"We could use the reforestation fund which should be worth Rp 5 trillion by now. This is a more worthy cause than funding airplane construction or pulp mills," she said. (05/aan)