Jakarta. The Indonesian government has warned of strict legal consequences for individuals or companies that clear land by setting forest fires, following a high-level meeting led by President Prabowo Subianto with security and law enforcement officials.

The warning comes as several fire hotspots have been detected across forested regions of Sumatra and Kalimantan, prompting emergency deployments of joint response teams to contain the blazes.

In previous years, large-scale forest fires in Indonesia have caused massive air pollution, producing toxic haze that choked cities and even spread across national borders to neighboring countries like Singapore.

“There will be zero tolerance for using fire to clear land, as clearly instructed by President Prabowo Subianto,” Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Budi Gunawan said in a statement on Sunday.

“The President urges that land clearing be done using modern, environmentally friendly technology,” he added.

Budi said the government is now pursuing a comprehensive approach to prevent wildfires -- combining law enforcement, access to modern technology, and sustained disaster preparedness.

A day earlier, President Prabowo convened a special meeting with senior officials, including the National Police chief and Armed Forces commander, to discuss strategies for cracking down on land-burning practices. During the meeting, he stressed there would be no leniency -- especially for plantation and mining companies found to be involved in forest fires.

Alongside enforcement, the government plans to support both communities and companies by providing access to modern, sustainable land-clearing tools. This includes heavy machinery, eco-friendly land preparation technology, and technical assistance from relevant ministries.

“We understand that people need land for economic activity. But burning forests is simply not an acceptable solution,” Budi said. “The President is committed to offering better, more efficient alternatives that do not harm the environment.”

This technology support program will be rolled out in fire-prone areas, particularly in West and Central Kalimantan. The government will also offer training to farmers and business operators on sustainable land-clearing methods.

Budi noted that the government’s Forest and Land Fire Response Coordination Desk (Karhutla Desk) has significantly reduced the number of hotspots in 2025 compared to last year. The desk brings together multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the Forestry Ministry, the military, police, and the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

Fire suppression efforts now involve a multi-pronged strategy: weather modification, aerial water bombing, on-the-ground firefighting, and early hotspot detection via satellite surveillance to enable rapid response.

In the latest coordination meeting, President Prabowo reported a drastic decline in burned forest areas -- down to just 8,995 hectares as of early August 2025, compared to 376,805 hectares recorded in 2023.

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