Jakarta – Greenpeace activists literally smoked out the forestry ministry in Jakarta on Thursday to protest the government's failure to stop forest fires. The blazes have spread choking smog over much of Southeast Asia, threatening the health of millions.

Over the past week, thick smoke from fires in Sumatra and Central Kalimantan has affected Singapore and Malaysia. Agence France-Presse reported that smoky haze from illegal land clearing in Kalimantan and Sumatra reached the US-administered Northern Mariana Islands, 3,600 kilometers away in the western Pacific.

In Guam, near the Northern Marianas, acting governor Tim Villagomez said the haze was likely to persist for several days but was not expected to cause health problems.

Greenpeace demanded that the government investigate companies that clear land by burning the forest, and hold them liable for the damage.

They also hung a large banner in front of the ministry that read "Stop Forest Conversion", calling on Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban (photo) to preserve the remaining Indonesian forests rather than allowing them to be turned into agricultural and pulp projects.

"The government should put in place a permanent mechanism to build capacity to assess vulnerability, develop regional climate models and design adaptation strategies that consider the vulnerability of local communities and indigenous species," it said in a statement.