Police urged to probe forest fires

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)