Walhi Finds 7,376 Hotspots In 235 Palm Oil And HTI Concessions In West Kalimantan

Hotspots in West Kalimmantan, (doc: Antara)

PONTIANAK - Head of the Walhi West Kalimantan Study and Campaign Division, Hendrikus Adam, said that 7,376 hot spots (hotspots) were monitored at 235 palm oil and HTI concessions in West Kalimantan throughout August 2023, but there were still no legal processes for the person in charge of the business suspected of having caught fire in his concession.

"In practice, there is no legal process against the person in charge of the business who is suspected of having a fire in his concession for us is very unusual and there is an impression that there is a difference in treatment. Meanwhile, residents suspected of being involved in forest and land fires are more swiftly prosecuted and we value this as a bad precedent for law enforcement efforts related to forest and land fires in West Kalimantan at this time," said Adam in Pontianak, Sunday.

He said the high indications of fires in the concession were 7,376 hot spots, so far it tends to have different responses from the government and law enforcement officials from previous years. In 2018 and 2019, for example, the sealing was carried out directly by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia.

Meanwhile, in the current period, no concessions have been processed legally. In contrast to the case of residents suspected of being involved in forest and land fires at this time, some are being prosecuted.

According to Adam, bad precedents like this justeru further strengthen the suspicion that power of law enforcement that is sharp downwards but blunt upwards' is still displayed from the expected institution. Therefore, efforts to enforce forest and land fires that are fair by law enforcement officers are still far from burning.

"This situation should be of serious concern to the President and the National Police Chief. There has been no breakthrough by law enforcement officers who should be proud if they only dare to process residents, but are reluctant to take serious legal action against the person in charge of the corporation whose land is indicated to have experienced a fire," he said.