Jakarta, Oct 23 – The Indonesian government has earmarked a Rp240 billion (approximately US$15 million) emergency fund to fight forest fires raging in West Kalimantan, as satellite images show the blazes expanding and the worst haze in Southeast Asia in over a decade choking the region.
Government Allocation
Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto approved the allocation under the Banpres (state assistance) program, according to Antara News. The money is slated for aerial firefighting, fire‑break construction and support for affected communities.
Suspected Corporate Involvement
Law‑enforcement officials have identified a large number of suspects. Tempo.co reported that the police chief named 243 individuals and 13 corporations as potential perpetrators of illegal land‑clearing fires. DetikNews added that 11 corporations with foreign affiliations are accused of burning about 11,000 hectares of forest and plantation land in West Kalimantan.
“A total of 243 individuals and 13 corporations have been identified as suspects in the ongoing forest‑fire investigations,” the police chief told reporters, Tempo.co reported.
The companies under scrutiny are linked to palm‑oil, timber and mining sectors, sparking calls for stricter enforcement of Indonesia’s moratorium on new forest clearances.
Regional Fallout and Protests
The haze, driven by the fires, has spread across Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, prompting health advisories and flight cancellations. Student groups in several Southeast Asian capitals have staged demonstrations demanding stronger action, a wave of protests covered by local U.S. outlets such as the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Killeen Daily Herald and Ottumwa Courier.
In Indonesia, activists have rallied in Jakarta and West Kalimantan, accusing the government of a “commitment gap” in handling forest and land fires, a phrase coined by Kompas.id’s editorial analysis.
International Assistance
Malaysia has reiterated its willingness to assist Indonesia in firefighting efforts, a stance reported by NST Online and Malay Mail. Both The Malaysian Reserve and the Malaysian outlet have explicitly denied any Malaysian companies being linked to the fires.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry emphasized that Indonesia is deploying its “fullest effort” to contain the blazes, as noted by Tempo.co’s English service. The ministry’s statement highlighted the use of additional aircraft, satellite monitoring and cross‑border coordination.
Elsewhere on the archipelago, a separate fire erupted on Mount Ciremai in West Java, spreading from Kuningan to Majalengka, underscoring the nationwide scale of the crisis.
Analysts caution that without decisive legal action against the identified corporations, the financial injection may only provide short‑term relief. Public sentiment toward Prabowo has turned increasingly negative, with Tempo.co reporting a dip in his approval ratings as the haze persists.
As the emergency fund is mobilised, authorities face the twin challenge of extinguishing the current flames while preventing future illegal land‑clearing practices that have repeatedly triggered Southeast Asia’s most severe haze episodes.
