Practitioner Urges Investigation into Corporate Involvement in Forest and Land Fires
JAKARTA — The handling of forest and land fire cases in several parts of Indonesia needs to be comprehensive, including investigating possible corporate involvement and those who benefit from the burning of land.
Legal practitioner Desri Zayanti called on law enforcement officers not to focus solely on people who set fires in the field. They should also investigate parties suspected of ordering or financing the activity, or gaining economic benefits from it.
Her call follows police investigations into forest and land fires, in which 223 people and nine companies have been named as suspects in several parts of Indonesia. Firm law enforcement is expected to deter the main actors operating behind the scenes.
Riau province is among the areas under scrutiny, with 3,395 hectares reported to have burned. Police have so far named 65 people as suspects there, but no company has been announced as a suspect in a forest and land fire case in the province.
The situation should be a serious concern for law enforcement, so that investigations can be completed fully. Large-scale land burning may involve economic interests far greater than the actions of individual perpetrators.
“The logic is simple. If someone is arrested for burning hundreds or even thousands of hectares, investigators must establish the motive. Did the land belong to that person? Who benefited? Was anyone giving orders or funding it? These questions must be answered through an investigation,” Desri said in a statement on Thursday (22 October 2026).
Desri said it was important to establish land ownership, identify permit holders and examine the links between people on the ground and those who control the land. This is needed to uncover the possible involvement of other, more influential parties.
She warned that law enforcement must not stop with those who directly set the fires. Investigations should be expanded if there are indications that others may also bear legal responsibility.
Desri also called on investigators to examine land licensing and administrative records relating to land control in depth. This is particularly important if there are indications of irregularities in the issuance or use of business permits.
In her view, investigations into forest and land fires should consider possible links between business interests, land control and abuses of authority. Any involvement by individuals in facilitating business permits must also be investigated.
She stressed the importance of preventing bribery or corruption in licensing processes in the forestry and plantation sectors. Transparent land-permit governance is key to preventing such fires from recurring.
“Do not investigate only who lit the fire. The authorities also need to establish who controls the land, how the permits were issued and who benefits from the burning. If there are indications of bribery or abuse of authority, those matters must be investigated,” Desri said.
Desri added that some parties often choose to clear land by burning it as a way to cut operating costs immediately. This illegal method is considered far cheaper than clearing land in accordance with the law.
For that reason, economic motive should be an important aspect of investigators’ inquiries, without ruling out other possible causes of the fires on the ground.
From a legal perspective, Desri said companies found to have been involved in forest and land burning can be held accountable. Firm penalties should be imposed in accordance with Indonesian law.