Muhammad Djibril, Jakarta – Indonesia's Environment Ministry is investigating intelligence reports alleging that certain parties deliberately set forest and land fires to damage the government's reputation, although authorities have yet to verify the claims or identify those responsible.
The Ministry of Environment and Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH) said the allegations were being examined alongside investigations into fires affecting hundreds of company concession areas across the country.
"There is intelligence information that we are looking into, namely allegations that certain parties deliberately started fires to damage the government's image. If this is true, it would be a very serious matter. However, the information must be verified further," the ministry said in a statement published on its official website on Tuesday.
The ministry said its investigation covered 335 company concession areas, where officials were examining land conditions, the extent of burned areas, and the possible causes of fires at each location.
Separately, Environment Minister Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat said the government was verifying 355 companies whose operating areas had been affected by forest and land fires.
Authorities said the extent of the burned areas varied considerably, from just a few hectares to hundreds of hectares, making individual inspections necessary before determining whether companies had violated environmental regulations.
"All burned areas must be verified one by one. Some cover two hectares, others five hectares, while several extend to hundreds of hectares. We therefore need to establish the conditions and causes of fires at each location," the ministry said.
Investigators are examining whether the fires resulted from negligence, land-clearing activities, or deliberate burning. The ministry stressed that the presence of a fire within a company's concession area alone was not sufficient evidence to establish legal wrongdoing by the permit holder.
Field monitoring has identified fires across different types of land, including undeveloped areas and oil palm plantations. Officials have also found indications of fires linked to farmer activities, particularly the burning of open-access land.
"There are indications of fires caused by human activity, particularly by local communities. There are practices of burning in open-access areas, based on the understanding that burning is permitted for areas of up to two hectares," the ministry said.
However, fires used to clear or prepare land can spread beyond their intended boundaries, potentially triggering much larger blazes. Investigators are therefore tracing the sources of ignition and the circumstances that allowed the fires to spread.
Jumhur said the government would impose severe penalties on companies found to have deliberately burned land, including business closures and the revocation of environmental permits.
He did not disclose how many companies had been identified as potential violators, saying the verification process was still underway.
Jumhur added that the situation had begun to improve as rainfall and firefighting operations helped contain the fires. More than 70,000 people had been involved in firefighting efforts, working from morning until night alongside local communities, he said.
Without their efforts, the fires could have caused significantly greater damage, he added.
Indonesia, Singapore discuss transboundary haze response
The investigations are taking place amid regional concerns over transboundary haze caused by forest and land fires in Indonesia.
Indonesia and Singapore have discussed establishing a joint task force to address cross-border haze, as smoke from fires in Indonesia has affected several Southeast Asian countries.
The proposal was discussed during a two-hour meeting between Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and his Indonesian counterpart, Arrmanatha Nasir, in Jakarta on Oct. 27. The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral relations, with transboundary haze among the issues under discussion.
Separately, the Indonesian environment ministry said it had been in communication with Singapore's Environment Minister Grace Fu regarding environmental law enforcement and respect for each country's sovereignty.
"Minister Grace Fu said Singapore was drafting environmental regulations as part of its law enforcement efforts. We respect the sovereignty of each country," the ministry said.
Indonesia's environment ministry said it would continue verifying the fires and investigating the companies involved before determining legal responsibility and the appropriate enforcement measures.
The government said penalties would be based on evidence gathered in the field, whether the fires resulted from negligence or deliberate actions.