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)