Indonesia intensifies crackdown on forest fires with proposed ‘ecological terrorism’ charges

forest fires ecological terrorism disaster mitigation environmental law enforcement land clearing

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has announced a major crackdown on forest and land fires (karhutla), proposing that perpetrators be classified as ‘ecological terrorists’ to enable harsher legal sanctions. During recent cabinet meetings, the President ordered the Ministry of Law and the State Secretary to explore legislative changes through the House of Representatives (DPR) to increase penalties.

In addition to legal reforms, the government is taking direct enforcement actions. The Environment Ministry has sealed approximately 50 companies across eight provinces following the detection of fire hotspots within their concession areas. President Prabowo has also instructed the National Police (Polri) to conduct thorough criminal investigations into corporations found responsible, emphasizing that the government will no longer tolerate the practice and will revoke business licenses where necessary.

To bolster disaster response, the administration is investing heavily in mitigation technology and equipment. This includes the acquisition of large water-bombing aircraft and the expansion of helicopter fleets for firefighting operations. Meanwhile, at the regional level, the West Papua Provincial Government has raised its fire alert status to ‘alert’ (waspada) as affected areas have surpassed 3,300 hectares. The DPR Commission IV has also formed a dedicated working committee to strengthen oversight of fire prevention and post-fire recovery efforts.

Entities

DPR RI · Environment Ministry · Indonesia · Kapolri · Kementerian Kehutanan · Komisi IV DPR RI · Manggala Agni · Ministry of Environment · Prabowo Subianto · Raja Juli Antoni · Titiek Soeharto · West Papua

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] The President ordered the revocation of business licenses for corporations found responsible for forest and land fires. www.jpnn.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Environment Ministry has sealed approximately 50 companies across eight provinces due to suspected fire violations in their concession areas. en.antaranews.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The Indonesian government is investing in disaster response by acquiring large water-bombing aircraft and hundreds of helicopters. bhaskarlive.in · www.medcom.id
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Commission IV approved the formation of a working committee to oversee forest and land fire prevention and handling. www.rri.co.id
[● 2 SOURCES] President Prabowo Subianto has proposed classifying forest and land fires as ‘ecological terrorism’ to strengthen legal sanctions. dutatv.com · www.freemalaysiatoday.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The West Papua Provincial Government has raised its forest fire alert status to ‘alert’ (waspada) as fire-affected areas reached over 3,317 hectares. cenderawasihpos.jawapos.com