Jakarta – As thick haze continues to cover large parts of Sumatra, police in Riau say that those responsible for the problem are getting away with sentences so lenient that there is hardly any deterrent effect.

"It has come to our attention that the sentences are around three months in prison on average, which is very light, and the toughest sentence is only five months," Brig. Gen. Dolly Bambang Hermawan, the chief of Riau Police, was quoted as saying by state-run Antara news agency on Monday.

Dolly said that the courts are ignoring the fact that the raging forest and bush fires are a major problem. "Many people get sick, flights are disturbed," he said.

The courts are not only lenient in cases of private individuals caught setting fire to swathes of land, but also to companies, Dolly said, citing the example of Adei Plantation and Industry.

Last month, judges at the Pelalawan District Court in Riau sentenced the general manager of Adei Plantation to a year in prison and a Rp 2 million ($165) fine, even though prosecutors had sought a jail term of five years.

Adding to the long list of suspects, on Monday two men were arrested for allegedly burning down 3.5 hectares of land in Pekan Arbu. Since February, 244 people have been named as suspects in land-burning cases in the province. Thus far, 118 of them have been convicted.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/riau-police-lament-light-sentences-burning-forests/