Prabowo Orders Criminal Probe Into Indonesia Forest Fire Companies

President Prabowo Subianto has ordered the Indonesian National Police to investigate the criminal liability of companies linked to widespread forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan. During a cabinet meeting, he stated that revoking business licenses is insufficient and urged the House of Representatives to stiffen laws by classifying slash-and-burn land clearing as "ecological terrorism."

These directives follow a crackdown by the Ministry of Forestry of Indonesia, which suspended the operational permits of 26 corporate entities. Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni announced the sanctions during a meeting with the House of Representatives' Commission IV, noting that the ministry is currently processing 46 cases involving both corporations and individuals. Previous enforcement actions in August and early September targeted permit holders in West, Central, and East Kalimantan.

Indonesia is currently battling its most intense wildfires in 11 years, driven by a super El Niño phenomenon. The resulting haze has caused respiratory illnesses domestically and created unhealthy air conditions in Singapore and Malaysia. In response, police have launched 219 criminal investigations, naming 162 suspects and 95 companies. To combat the blazes, the government has deployed over 50 aircraft for water bombing and cloud seeding. Minister Antoni warned that the fires could persist until early November due to a delayed rainy season.