Indonesian police have named 223 individuals and nine companies as suspects in forest and land fire cases across the country, as authorities step up enforcement and firefighting efforts amid worsening transboundary haze affecting the region.
The Indonesian National Police said on Wednesday that the 223 individuals were suspects in connection with 273 police reports involving fires that affected more than 5,150 hectares of land.
Senior Commissioner Pipit Subiyanto of the police directorate responsible for energy resources and environmental crimes disclosed the figures during a joint press conference with the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs in Jakarta, according to the Indonesian Government Communication Agency (BAKOM).
Riau recorded the highest number of individual suspects at 65, followed by South Sumatra with 48 and Central Kalimantan with 39. Other suspects were identified in West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Jambi, South Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, Southeast Sulawesi and South Sulawesi.
Police also named nine companies as suspects in connection with fires affecting more than 25,600 hectares of land.
Authorities said enforcement efforts by the police and relevant ministries had made significant progress, with 57 business entities ordered to cease operations after being found to have committed violations related to forest and land fires. However, officials did not specify the nature of the violations.
Separately, the Forestry Ministry is pursuing criminal proceedings against 17 companies, while another 26 have faced administrative action. Details of the measures taken against those companies were not disclosed.
Indonesia Deploys Heavy Machinery To Contain Fires
The Indonesian government is strengthening its firefighting strategy by using heavy machinery to create firebreaks along the advancing edges of fires, while planning to construct boreholes to improve water access and prevent flames from spreading further.
Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said the strategy focused on targeting key areas where fires were advancing rather than simply chasing flames as they spread.
The government plans to build around 30 boreholes to support firefighting operations in high-risk areas. The water sources will be positioned approximately 50 metres apart along fire fronts to ensure an adequate supply for firefighting teams.
Authorities are also carrying out cloud-seeding operations to increase moisture levels and support efforts to control the fires.
“Regardless of whether a region is experiencing fires or not, we continue to conduct cloud seeding by dispersing salt into potentially suitable clouds to increase humidity,” Raja Juli said.
Fires Threaten Orangutan Habitat In National Park
The Forestry Ministry is also focusing on fires in Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Kalimantan, with efforts aimed at preventing the flames from spreading and protecting wildlife habitats.
The park is a major centre for orangutan conservation and rehabilitation.
Authorities said on Monday that fires had affected more than 500 hectares of the national park. However, firefighting operations were being hampered by extremely poor visibility.
Indonesia’s Forestry Ministry deployed 117 personnel from the national park agency to fight the fires, with another 10 personnel sent from Karimunjawa National Park and Gunung Halimun Salak National Park.
Malaysia, Indonesia Begin Talks On Joint Firefighting Efforts
The latest developments come after Malaysia announced that it had begun discussions with Indonesia for the first time on possible cooperation to tackle forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra.
Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said the talks involved relevant agencies and ministries from both countries, including Malaysia’s National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), the Foreign Ministry and the National Security Council.
“The form of cooperation will depend on the outcome of the discussions, but the authorities of both countries have, for the first time, begun negotiations on how we can work together to address the haze, which appears to be worsening,” he told reporters on Wednesday, according to national news agency Bernama.
Mohamad said the transboundary haze caused by forest fires had persisted for nearly two months, affecting Malaysia and the health of people in neighbouring Indonesia and Singapore.
The discussions mark a potential step towards closer regional cooperation as authorities continue efforts to contain the fires and reduce the impact of the haze.
