RI could face global sanctions over forest fires
RI could face global sanctions over forest fires
JAKARTA (JP): The country could face international trade
sanctions unless the government and businesspeople take this
year's forest fires in East Kalimantan seriously, State Minister
of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja warned Saturday.
Speaking at a media conference here, Sarwono said the forest
fires in East Kalimantan were mostly burning in the concession
areas of industrial timber companies.
More than 10,750 hectares of forest in the province have been
ravaged since January and more than 3,000 hectares of other land
have also been destroyed, he said.
"Willing or not, the timber companies have to be held
responsible," he said.
"So, there's just no way they can get away with it.
"If they argue that someone has committed arson, they will be
blamed for being unable to supervise their concession areas, let
alone if the fires were intentionally lit for land clearing, a
blatant violation of the law."
Sarwono said he had coordinated with Attorney General Singgih,
and that the latter had "shown determination" to press charges
against this year's alleged forest burners.
"If we don't take it seriously this time, the international
community will only know us as law breakers, and eventually leave
us isolated with all the ensuing consequences," he said, hinting
that this could mean the imposition of trade sanctions.
He did not say how many companies had been probed so far for
alleged arson. But the East Kalimantan provincial government had
submitted evidence to the police for further investigation, he
said.
Sarwono said the international community was watching whether
the government would prosecute those accused of burning forests
despite their "well-connected political links".
"We just have to take affirmative steps, especially at the
moment when we are trying to win the trust of our people and the
international community," he said.
Exacerbated by the economic crisis, the imminent threat of
food shortages and massive unemployment, Sarwono said, this
year's forest fires were just "too severe" for the country to
handle alone.
"Through the ASEAN forum, it has been urged for the
international community to help Indonesia fight the fires due to
the country depleting resources," he said.
He was referring to the call by the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations after a meeting of its environment ministers last
week in Kuching, the capital of Malaysia's Sarawak state.
According to Sarwono, international involvement in helping the
country fight the forest fires would show the world the
complexity and enormity of fighting the fires.
"So, we just have to take stern measures against those big
companies who have burned the forest, because it was them who in
the first place had the ability to prevent the fires," he said.
He said that all the evidence needed for the police's further
investigation into forest fires in East Kalimantan was available
at the provincial office of the Environmental Impact Management
Agency. (aan)