Prabowo Issues Stern Warning to Countries That Insult Indonesia

President Prabowo Subianto has issued a warning to other countries that, he said, frequently insult Indonesia, particularly in connection with forest fires that have affected the country in recent months.

Prabowo called on law enforcement agencies to investigate companies responsible for the fires. He said the situation was not entirely a natural occurrence and that human intervention was involved.

“I have asked the police, the Attorney General’s Office and the Forestry Ministry, assisted by military intelligence, to investigate, because it turns out that many corporations are also responsible. People have also caught individuals deliberately setting fires, and we can regard this as environmental terrorism,” Prabowo said as he opened a plenary Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday (21 October 2026).

The irresponsible actions, Prabowo said, had endangered the health of millions of Indonesians. The government was working hard to tackle the fires through various measures.

“We must not take this lightly. We will now deal with it on a massive scale, but we will also investigate it thoroughly. This time, I’m afraid, we can no longer act as usual. If the evidence is clear, we will take action and revoke all permits held by companies that have breached the rules,” he said.

Prabowo also issued a direct warning to countries that insult Indonesia.

“To certain countries that like to insult the Indonesian nation, in due course we will expose the companies,” Prabowo said.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Indonesian people are courteous and patient. Indonesia is often insulted, but believe me, the Indonesian people do not want to be continually provoked,” he said.