Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday warned that foreign companies implicated in Indonesia's recurring forest and land fires could face severe penalties, including the revocation of operating permits, as he called for tougher enforcement against businesses that repeatedly violate regulations.

Prabowo said authorities had identified indications that several foreign companies operating under long-term concessions may bear responsibility for forest fires, although he did not identify the companies or specify the nature of their alleged violations.

Some companies had held concessions for more than a decade and were suspected of repeatedly breaking regulations, he said, adding that one foreign company had reportedly committed as many as 19 violations.

"We need to remain vigilant. In these forest fires, there are indications that many foreign companies must also be held accountable. They have been granted concessions for more than a decade, and some have violated regulations three times, four times, or even 19 times," Prabowo said.

"This can no longer be tolerated. If a company violates the rules twice, just revoke its permit," he added.

The president did not elaborate on whether the alleged violations involved illegal land clearing, fire prevention failures, concession management, or other regulatory breaches.

He also criticized what he described as disparaging remarks from certain countries about Indonesia's handling of forest fires, arguing that companies originating from those countries should also be held accountable if found responsible for violations.

Prabowo insisted that the government should not be intimidated by pressure from any party when enforcing environmental regulations.

He pledged to publicly identify the foreign companies allegedly involved once the government was ready to disclose its findings.

"We will announce their names when the time comes," he said.

Haze Spreads Beyond Indonesia
Prabowo said the government had deployed extensive resources to combat forest and land fires, including personnel from the Indonesian Military, National Police and regional administrations.

Forest and land fires, particularly in Sumatra and Kalimantan, have generated haze affecting communities in Indonesia and neighboring countries, including Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

The cross-border pollution has renewed concerns about environmental damage, public health and the effectiveness of regional cooperation in preventing and controlling fires.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has discussed the issue with Prabowo on several occasions, including possible cooperation to address forest fires and transboundary haze.

The issue has also drawn attention in Malaysia's parliament, where a lawmaker used Javanese during a speech to appeal directly to Prabowo for stronger action against the fires.

Add as a preferred source on Google +