In brief
Police announced that 20 companies are suspects in Indonesia’s latest forest and land fires, a move lauded by PB HMI as a step toward accountability. Deputy secretary‑general Herdiansyah Iskandar urged transparent investigations, preventive oversight of concessions, and corporate responsibility for ecological restoration.
In Jakarta on Saturday, police announced that 20 companies have been named as suspects in recent forest and land fires, a development welcomed by the Indonesian Muslim Students Association (PB HMI) as a sign of growing environmental accountability.
PJ HMI’s Central Executive Board praised the move, observing that it demonstrates police commitment to prosecuting environmental crimes and provides an opportunity to strengthen protection of Indonesia’s forests and ecosystems.
Deputy secretary‑general for strategic policy Herdiansyah Iskandar said that prosecuting companies was essential to ensuring equal treatment under the law. He added, “However, naming suspects must not end the process. The state must ensure investigations remain transparent, professional and accountable to provide legal certainty.”
He further explained that forest and land fires are matters of environmental justice, requiring more than punitive action after damage has occurred. Crucially, the government must strengthen prevention by reviewing permits, monitoring concessions, conducting environmental audits and improving early detection in fire‑prone areas.
Herdiansyah urged authorities to make corporate law enforcement conditional on environmental restoration. Companies found responsible must rehabilitate ecosystems and pay compensation in accordance with applicable laws, he said.
Addressing the involvement of foreign‑invested companies, he stressed the importance of upholding Indonesia’s legal sovereignty: “Indonesia welcomes investment, but not at the expense of the environment. Domestic and foreign companies operating here must comply with Indonesian law. No one should receive preferential treatment.”
The group acknowledged that the impact of forest and land fires extends far beyond wood loss, touching public health, local economies, livelihoods and long‑term ecosystem sustainability. It noted that success must be measured not only by the number of firms named a suspect but also by effective restoration, community protection and guarantees against recurring fires.
