Indonesia turns down Singapore’s offer to help extinguish forest fires

Today Online 17 Sep 15;

JAKARTA — Indonesia has turned down an offer of military assistance from Singapore to extinguish wildfires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, with thick haze from the fires also severely affecting air quality in the city-state.

Last week, Singapore released a statement saying its armed forces were ready to support the Indonesian Military (TNI) in combating the forest fires.

Indonesia’s Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar confirmed today (Sept 17) that she had passed up the offer in a phonecall with her Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan.

“They offered help, but I told them we’re still trying to handle it ourselves,” Dr Bakar said, as quoted by newsportal CNNIndonesia.com.

She added that Singaporeans were indeed badly affected by haze coming from Jambi and South Sumatra, but it was not “dangerous”.

The TNI and Indonesia’s National Police have deployed more than 1,000 officers to control fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan. THE JAKARTA GLOBE

Jakarta again declines Singapore haze help
Indonesia has rejected help from Singapore to assist with firefighting efforts in fire-ravaged parts of Sumatra.
Channel NewsAsia 18 Sep 15;

SINGAPORE: Indonesia again declined Singapore's offer of help in fighting haze-causing fires, with Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar saying Indonesia is trying to handle the situation on its own.

Earlier this week, Indonesian media reported that vice-president Jusuf Kalla had called on Singapore to help. "Singapore please come and tackle the haze because the effect is also felt by Singapore. We, not to mention Singapore, dislike (the haze). Everyone dislikes it and we have put in extra effort to tackle the fires,” he was reported saying on Tuesday.

This latest U-turn came after the country stepped up its firefighting efforts. President Joko Widodo ordered the mobilisation of hundreds more troops and enforcement officers to tackle the forest fires, which have caused air quality to reach hazardous levels in Riau.

Minister Siti Nurbaya will be meeting with her Malaysian counterpart next week in Jakarta, to discuss how to tackle the haze crisis.

Malaysian minister Dr Wan Junaidi Jaafar said a memorandum of understanding will be signed between the two countries, along with Singapore, Brunei and Thailand on what actions to take. They will also explore how to help Indonesia put out the fires.

Currently, Indonesian law dictates that provinces will have to declare an emergency before the central government and foreign countries can help. The meeting is aimed at reducing red tape and speeding up the provision of aid.

So far, Indonesia has arrested executives from 7 companies accused of contributing to the haze and air pollution in the region.

Meantime, there was a slight improvement in haze levels in Singapore on Thursday, but the air quality remained unhealthy for the east Malaysian state of Sarawak. Authorities say schools in Sarawak will remain closed.

On Wednesday, the air pollutant index registered above 200 and there were also some disruptions to air traffic due to poor visibility.

Singapore’s environment agency, NEA said the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading was expected to remain within the moderate range for much of Thursday due to prevailing wind conditions.

Slightly hazy conditions can be expected if the wind changes direction.

- CNA/jb

Indonesia again declines Singapore's help to fight haze
The Star 18 Sep 15;

SINGAPORE: Indonesia's Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar has again declined Singapore's assistance to fight the haze.

She reportedly told CNN Indonesia on Thursday that her country is still trying to handle the crisis on its own.

This, however, appears to be a u-turn on an earlier invitation by vice-president Jusuf Kalla for Singapore to help. "Singapore is ready to help, so I think please do," said Kalla in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The haze, caused by illegal forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, has blanketed parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in recent weeks.

Singapore's Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said last Friday that Indonesia had accepted an offer from Singapore to help combat the fires but that was turned down a day later by Siti, who said Indonesia had enough resources. Singapore's offer was renewed again on Monday – this time, she told Singapore Environment Minister Vivian Balakrishnan that she would reconsider.

The latest reversal comes after Indonesia revealed a wide-ranging plan to tackle the haze crisis, which includes deploying more troops and police to help with fire-fighting and stepping up cloud-seeding operations to douse the blazes.

Meanwhile, Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) said cloud seeding to clear the air of haze has not been, and will not be, done here as its effectiveness is doubtful.

"Cloud seeding requires existing clouds as it cannot generate rain out of thin and dry air," it said on its website Thursday. "During dry seasons, cloud seeding is less effective due to the lack of suitable clouds.

"The small size of Singapore and the variability of winds also mean that the induced rain, if any, may not fall directly over our island."

Rumours have been circulating that cloud seeding is being carried out to reduce the impact of haze for the Formula One race this weekend.

The rumours, spread on messaging app WhatsApp, implied that the resulting rain was harmful, and urged people to keep away from "chemically induced rain showers".

Dr Balakrishnan has also reiterated the point in a Facebook post saying: "NEA does not engage in cloud seeding and has no plans to do so."

Cloud seeding is an attempt to induce rain by introducing chemicals such as silver iodide into clouds. It has been done in Malaysia and Indonesia, where haze has caused air quality to reach hazardous levels.

Dr Erik Velasco, a research scientist from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, said that while silver is considered a pollutant, its input by cloud seeding is "negligible compared with the contribution of other emission sources such as refineries, power plants … and even (road) traffic".

He said it does not cause acid rain. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network