RI's notorious haze

RI's notorious haze

Indonesia is ridiculed by the international community every year when the haze from fires caused by slash-and-burn fills the skies of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members.

The slash-and-burn method of clearing the land was practiced by nomadic farmers in ancient times. Nowadays, people understand that the method damages important substances in the soil.

Unfortunately, many Indonesians continue to use this primitive method, considering that the number of wildfires during the past few dry seasons, instead of decreasing, has increased.

As a consequence, haze from wildfires and forest fires are affecting the daily lives of people, including those in foreign cities. The thick fog in Indonesia has not only affected the people's health, but has also disrupted domestic and international flights.

We believe the haze issue will again be discussed by other countries during the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Jakarta next week; and we will be ashamed for having failed to do anything to curb the annual haze.

The people of West Nusa Tenggara province have, however, reportedly succeeded in reducing the use of the slash-and-burn method. The provincial administration has been promoting better ways of clearing land and has put in place severe punishments for those who continued to practice the illegal method.

As such, we hope the country will eventually cease to be the object of ridicule among other nations, let alone be dubbed a haze-exporting country.

-- Kompas, Jakarta