Junjung Transparency Public, Minister Of Transportation Considers Release Of List Of Suspects In The National Karhutla Case

JAKARTA - Minister of Forestry (Menhut) Raja Juli Antoni considers the option to regularly release a list of suspects in cases of forest and land fires (karhutla) at the national level.

This discourse is a commitment to public transparency and education in dealing with the annual disaster.

"In the near future I will communicate with the National Police Chief so that the Regional Police Chief together with the Directorate General of Law Enforcement (Gakkum) we will regularly inform the progress of the legal process against the perpetrators of the arson," said the Minister of Forestry when met after a national forest and land fires coordination meeting in Jakarta, Monday, July 28, was confiscated by Antara.

According to him, the open announcement can be a form of educational function as well as a warning for the community and corporations not to commit arson that violates the law.

For him, law enforcement is not only to punish the perpetrators, but also as a deterrent effect that is important in preventing reburning in the future.

For this reason, the government, according to him, must show consistency in legal action so that public trust in forest and land fires mitigation efforts increases.

"Law enforcement should not be just about it. This is a matter of ecological justice and protection of citizens from the dangers of smoke and environmental crises," he said.

Raja Juli also appreciated the police, especially the Riau Police, who have handled 43 forest and land fires with a total of 51 suspects. He hopes that similar steps will also be taken in other vulnerable provinces such as Jambi, South Sumatra, Central Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan.

"Hopefully this will serve as a firm warning: never play with fire. Because the fire not only burns forests, but also our future," he said.