Antara News·Indonesia·Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 10:34 AM

Prabowo calls for tougher sanctions over forest fires

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Genta Tenri Mawangi, Yashinta Difa

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto instructed relevant cabinet ministers to review existing environmental regulations and work with lawmakers to impose tougher sanctions, including the possibility of classifying severe forest and land fires as “ecological terrorism”.

The directive was issued during a hybrid limited cabinet meeting on Wednesday (September 16), where the President received the latest report on forest and land fire mitigation efforts in Sumatra and Kalimantan, as well as strategies for the next month and a half—a period identified as highly vulnerable to fires.

"I have asked the State Secretary (Prasetyo Hadi) and Minister of Law (Supratman Andi Agtas) to examine the legal sanctions, and perhaps we should ask the House of Representatives (DPR) to strengthen the laws—so that we can classify this as ‘ecological terrorism’,” Prabowo said in a statement issued on Thursday.

The President stressed that the strategy is a very serious matter, and he also instructed Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian to immediately review regional regulations that allow land clearing by controlled burning.

He rejected traditional slash-and-burn practices as a justification for land clearing.

"I have said there should be no excuses regarding 'local wisdom' or the like... I consider those to be mere excuses," the President said, adding that the government would assist local farmers with land clearing services so that use of fire could be eliminated.

The directive comes as authorities prepare for a period of heightened fire risk across vulnerable provinces expected to last about one and a half months.

Meanwhile, multi-agency law enforcement operations against non-compliant corporations have intensified across eight provinces, with Kalimantan accounting for the largest share of affected concessions.

As part of these measures, the Ministry of Forestry has suspended the business licenses of 26 companies, mandating that they undertake environmental restoration in the affected areas.

Regulatory actions expanded further as the Ministry of Environment sealed off concession sites belonging to 50 business entities, covering a total burned area exceeding 27,333 hectares.

On the criminal enforcement front, the Indonesian National Police (Polri) initiated legal proceedings against eight corporations, while 18 other companies remain under active investigation for their suspected involvement in the blazes.

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