Authorities Prepare Legal Action Against Forest Burners
The National Police supports law enforcement in incidents of forest fires across the country, including directly tackling specific cases. So far in 2019, around 30,000 hectares of peatland have been burned.
PANGKALAN KERINCI, KOMPAS — Investigations into forest fires in the past two months have entered a new stage, as the police and civil service investigators at the Environment and Forestry Ministry prepare legal action against individuals and companies involved in forest fires.
This was reaffirmed by Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar and National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian during their field visit to Langgam in Pelalawan regency, Riau, on Tuesday (13/8/2019). Riau has seen some of the worst levels of peatland fires in recent years.
As of 1 August, 135,749 hectares have been burned, around 30,000 ha of which was peatland.
In Riau, the Environment and Forestry Ministry has issued warnings to 11 companies, of which five had fires discovered within their concession lands and six had fires discovered on the fringes of their concession lands. “None of them have faced legal punishment but investigations have begun,” Siti Nurbaya said.
The National Police chief urged the Riau Police to be in no doubt about enforcing the law against individuals or companies. For that purpose, the National Police chief has deployed an assistance team from its headquarters to support their work.
“The National Police headquarters will back the Riau Police up. If [investigations at the Riau Police] are ineffective, the National Police will tackle them,” Tito said. The Riau Police has named 27 individuals and one company, PT SSS, as suspects.
In Jambi, the police are investigating all corporate lands where fires have been found. Investigation and law enforcement involves experts. “We will investigate all companies where fires have been found,” Jambi Police chief Insp. Gen. Muchlis said after a meeting at the National Police headquarters on tackling forest and peatland fires in Jambi.
Field conditions
Kompas observation found fires in company concession lands in Muaro Jambi, Batanghari, Sarolangun and Tebo regencies. One fire was found to be spreading in the Alam Bukit Tigapuluh (ABT) ecosystem in Tebo. PT ABT director Dody Rukman said the fire was related to organized encroachment. A corporate firefighting team was intimidated by encroachers on their way to the site of the fire. “We estimate 80 ha of land to be on fire,” he said.
The previous day, more than 100 ha of land in the Tesso Nilo National Park, near WWF Indonesia Elephant Flying Squad’s elephant reservation, was found to be on fire. That fire has been put out.
After aerial monitoring in Riau, Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto said that helicopters would continue to be used in forest firefighting in Riau. However, the TNI has also prepared Hercules aircraft with water-carrying capacity larger than helicopters.
In South Sumatra, five water-bombing helicopters, one airplane and one patrol helicopter were prepared at the Sri Mulyono Herlambang airbase in Palembang. “One unit arrived last week,” South Sumatra Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) emergency mitigation section head Ansori said. As of 12 August, there were 224 hot spots across South Sumatra.
On Tuesday, there was sad news from the land technical team of the MI 8 RA 22583 water-bombing helicopter. Team member Andrey Sushanov, 43, who had just arrived from Russia last week, died at Siloam Sriwijaya hospital in Palembang due to constriction of blood vessels.
Meanwhile, on Jl. G Obos 14 in Palangkaraya, public order officers (Satpol PP) arrested alleged forest arsonist H, 44. He said that he was given Rp 100,000 (US$6.98) to burn land. “There were five of us but I don’t know who owns the land. I was just told to burn it,” he said.
Smog has disrupted activities in Palangkaraya in the past few days. Community health centers (Puskesmas) are preparing oxygen rooms and health officials were prepared at posts to help firefighting teams.
“This is a response to public demands related to the smog disaster in 2015. The government is preparing free healthcare services in hospitals for those affected by the smog,” Central Kalimantan regional secretary Fahrizal Fitri said.
Environmental improvement
In Jakarta, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that forest firefighting would be pointless without consistent forest improvement and environmental management. “A good environment and well-managed forests will cool down hot temperatures. So, environmental management is important to prevent forest fires,” Kalla told a press conference.
Many parties must be involved in doing such work. Without such cooperation, expensive forest firefighting efforts would always recur.
In Riau, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) chief Doni Monardo said that land- and air-based firefighting efforts were costly and energy-consuming. Therefore, prevention efforts would be prioritized, including involving local community and customary figures.
Separately, Peatland Restoration Agency deputy of planning and cooperation Budi S Wardhana said that firefighting efforts in 2015 cost Rp 2.5 trillion. Some Rp 1.9 trillion was disbursed for treating affected locals, quite apart from damage incurred from production, distribution and trade losses and reduced value of resources. (SAH/ITA/VIO/IDO/RAM/FRD/ICH/INA/EDN)