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