We didn't start the forest fires: Logging companies

JAKARTA (JP): The Association of Indonesian Forest Concessionaires (APHI) insisted on Friday they were not responsible for the forest fires producing a thick haze blanketing parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan and disrupting activity in neighboring countries.

"I categorically reject any accusations that concessionaires are responsible (for the fires) or are engaged in burning the forest," APHI deputy chief for legal affairs Reza Suarga said here.

He insisted that burning the forest would only cause financial losses for concession holders.

"Every cubic meter of wood is very valuable to them" so it would be "stupid" for them to burn the forest, he said, adding that almost all clearing of forests through land burning had ceased since 1998.

He said the association welcomed the general public, the government and non-governmental organizations to verify these accusations in the field, and that any public company found burning the forest should be brought to court.

As quoted by Antara, Reza said it was strange that many of the "hot spots" were found in areas bordering the Malaysian state of Sarawak.

There are increasing fears that the haze, which has been slowly spreading, will again affect the entire region as it did in 1997.

Initial suspicion is that the current haze has been caused by fires used to clear land in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Antara reported from Medan, North Sumatra, on Friday that the latest satellite images showed the number of hot spots in the province had decreased from 29 on Thursday to 18.

It believed that rain which fell in the regencies of Labuhan Batu and Tapanuli Selatan on Thursday night helped extinguish many of the fires.

Meanwhile from Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, it was reported on Friday that apart from the outskirts of the city, haze was also beginning to blanket Banjar, Tanah Laut, Kotabaru and Kota Banjarbaru regencies.

However, the thin veil of haze had not reached the level where it would effect daily activity or traffic.

Aid

From Singapore, the Associated Press reported that environmental experts from Singapore would go to Jakarta next week to help combat the fires.

Singapore has reportedly been supplying satellite images to Jakarta to pinpoint the fires and has set up stations to measure pollution levels, said Joseph Hui, the environment ministry's head of strategic planning.

"Every year we are spending S$200,000 (US$109,280) for the satellite pictures alone," said Hui.

Satellite photos show hot spots across the Indonesian island of Sumatra as well as fires in Sarawak, Malaysia, said Shen Chaomin of the Center for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing.

Singapore officials, however, have played down concerns that the fires could cause the kind of haze problem seen in 1997.

"There is concern for the haze situation but we do not think that we will be very adversely affected," said Wong Teo San, deputy director of meteorological services in Singapore.

Singapore's Meteorological Service Department said on Friday that the Pollutants Standard Index, or PSI, had risen to 65, which, while not optimal, is not considered dangerous. Above 100 is considered the danger zone.

Wong said the region would experience dry weather until October, but intermittent rain should help contain the pollution from the fires.

Loh Ah Tuan, director of policy for the Singapore environment ministry, said the Indonesian government was beginning to take the fires seriously.

He said Indonesian officials faced difficulties such as getting access to fire-plagued regions.

The situation in Thailand and Malaysia has also improved due to a change in wind direction and some rain.

But in neighboring Malaysia, central Kuala Lumpur was still shrouded in light-colored smoke on Friday, obscuring the hills that ring the city, Reuters reported.

Malaysia's environment department reported "unhealthy" pollution levels at two centers on Thursday, down from four such readings on Wednesday. Forty-six stations around the country measured "moderate" to "very good".

The two unhealthy centers were Kuala Selangor, 50 kilometers northwest of Kuala Lumpur, where an underground peat fire has been burning since last week, and northern Penang state. (mds)