Indonesia: Singapore’s one-plane offer to help fight fires ‘insulting’

Today Online 21 Oct 15;

JAKARTA — Singapore’s offer in September of only “one aircraft” to Indonesia to help fight forest fires that have caused thick haze to descend around the region was “insulting”, said Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

Speaking in an interview last Friday (Oct 16) with the country’s Tempo magazine, Mr Luhut defended Indonesia’s perceived tardiness in putting out the fires and in accepting foreign aid.

“During the dry season, peatlands tend to be very flammable. When we bombard the land with water to put out the flames, they just come out again. So I get a headache when people get upset. What are we supposed to do?” he replied when asked why this year’s forest fires are worse than those of last year’s.

“Then someone asks why we didn’t accept the assistance offered earlier. There are many reasons for that. Firstly, we wanted to try and do it on our own. Secondly, we didn’t realise the process would be so long. Thirdly, (Singapore) offered only one aircraft. It was insulting.”

In September, Singapore offered a C-130 aircraft for cloud-seeding operations, a Chinook helicopter with a water bucket for aerial fire-fighting, and up to two C-130 aircraft to ferry the Singapore Civil Defence Force fire-fighting assistance team.

Mr Luhut’s comments in the latest issue of the magazine came after Indonesia finally accepted help from Singapore on Oct 7 after repeatedly ­declining offers of help for weeks. Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen had even flown to Jakarta at the end of September to meet his Indonesian counterpart at one of the meetings. During his visit, Dr Ng also met Mr Luhut.

On October 11, aircraft from Singapore and Malaysia began water-bombing missions to put out the raging fires in South Sumatra.

Singapore sent a Republic of Singapore Armed Forces (RSAF) Chinook helicopter with a 5,000-litre heli-bucket and 34 SAF personnel to help fight the ongoing forest fires, together with a six-man Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team from the Singapore Civil Defence Force. Two RSAF C-130 aircraft were also deployed to transport SAF and SCDF personnel.

In an interview on Oct 7, Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung told CNN Indonesia that Jakarta had earlier rejected Singapore’s offers of assistance because it was concerned that the city state would claim credit for solving the problem, despite being worried about the rapidly deteriorating situation.

In the Tempo interview, Mr Luhut also pledged to confiscate the land and revoke the licences of big companies that practise illegal burning next year.

“This haze problem is also about injustice. When a company controls 2.8 million hectares of land, where is the justice? Then there are those who own 600,000 hectares of land but own not a single fire extinguisher. Should the government be dousing fires all the time? If we call it a national disaster, they will benefit by it.” AGENCIES


Companies will benefit if haze problem declared national disaster: Indonesian minister
"They have 500 million pounds sterling in London banks, but they demand that we douse the flames," the Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security told Indonesia's Tempo magazine.
Channel NewsAsia 21 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE: The annual haze problem in Indonesia is about injustice, Indonesia's coordinating minister for politics, law and security Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said.

"When a company controls 2.8 million hectares of land, where is the justice? Then there are those that own 600,000 hectares of land but own not a single fire extinguisher," he said in an interview in the Oct 25 issue of Tempo, an Indonesian weekly news magazine.

He explained authorities' reluctance to declare the haze problem a national disaster, even though air pollution levels in some Indonesian cities have reached hazardous levels at more than 2,600 API.

"Should the government be dousing fires all the time? If we call it a national disaster, they will benefit from it," he said, referring to land concession owners. "They have 500 million pounds sterling in London banks, but they demand that we douse the flames."

Mr Luhut added that his government did not accept the assistance offered by neighbouring countries earlier because they "wanted to try and do it on their own". He also said that it was "insulting" that (Singapore had) "offered only one aircraft".

The minister touched on his involvement in tackling the forest fires, which used to be managed largely by the National Disaster Management Agency. "Well, that's how the President wants it. Perhaps he feels it's too important. That's why we're doing it."

He added that President Joko Widodo has gone to the affected areas many times "so he must see it as a serious problem".

Asked about 30 companies that have reportedly been censured for fires and Mr Luhut said "many more" will be indicted. "If it happens again next year, we will confiscate all their lands, revoke their licences," he told Tempo. "Now they don't dare do any funny business. They know I'm on their case."

- CNA/hs


Countries now understand how hard it is to put out forest fires: South Sumatra governor
South Sumatra province was one of the areas most badly hit by forest fires, and for more than a week, international help had focused on extinguishing the blaze.
Channel NewsAsia 21 Oct 15;

PALEMBANG: South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin says lessons have been learnt from the Indonesian forest fires and resultant haze crisis.

Speaking to reporters after the regional heads meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Mr Noerdin said that neighbouring countries now understand how difficult it is to put out the fires.

"Is the help from our neighbouring countries significant or not? The answer is yes, and no,” said Mr Noerdin.

“I don't want to mention any names, but there are lessons learnt. They now know putting out the fires in the peatlands is extraordinarily difficult, so now there's no more speculation from other countries. That is good."

South Sumatra province is one of the areas most badly hit by forest fires, and for more than one week, international help has focused on extinguishing the blaze.

Mr Noerdin says forest fires also occur every year in Australia, Canada, and the United States. But the difference is that because those fires are not in the peatlands, they can be put out a lot easier, says Mr Noerdin.

He has also refuted allegations that the province may not have been well-prepared for the forest fires, saying that South Sumatra has been on alert for forest fires since Feb 26, and has conducted water bombings since July.

More than 600 local leaders, including governors, regents, and mayors attended the meeting with President Widodo in three separate sessions.

- CNA/yt


Indonesia needs more firefighting aircraft

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, The Straits Times/Asia News Network Jakarta Post 21 Oct 15;

Indonesia will need at least 15 more bigger water-bombing aircraft to fight forest and peat land fires in South Sumatra and Central Kalimantan and new ones that have flared up in Papua and Sulawesi.

The Mozes Kilangin airport in Timika, Papua, was forced to close indefinitely Tuesday owing to the thick haze.

"Fifteen additional aircraft would bring about a significant impact before the rain finally comes," Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said after he surveyed the situation in South Sumatra aboard a helicopter Tuesday.

There are currently 26 aircraft, including foreign ones, which Mr Luhut said are not enough.

These aircraft have focused mostly on putting out the fires in South Sumatra, which has been blanketed by choking haze for more than three months.

Another four aircraft are for cloud-seeding operations to induce rain, although the clouds have mostly not been suitable.

Some experts reckon the current fires in Indonesia, which produce the thick haze that has spread across South-east Asia, are unlikely to be put out in the next month or two.

A multinational effort involving countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Australia is under way to help put out the fires, but new hot spots have emerged in Papua and Sulawesi, which were not known to be fire-prone until now.

"The fires are massive, the weather is severely dry and the winds are strong. Water-bombing operations in the past week have only managed to mitigate but not stop the fires," said Mr Luhut.

"We have to launch bigger operations," added the minister, whose helicopter ride had to be cut short because of the haze.

The aircraft Mr Luhut has in mind include five Air Tractor planes - three for South Sumatra and two for Central Kalimantan - and also five Beriev and five Bombardier aircraft.

Two Russian-made Beriev Be-200 water bombers, which can carry up to 12,000 litres of water each, are expected to arrive in South Sumatra early this morning, while an Australian and a Malaysian aircraft returned home on Monday.

Mr Luhut was accompanied on the trip by the armed forces commander, General Gatot Nurmantyo, national police chief Badrodin Haiti, Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar and South Sumatra governor Alex Noerdin.

During the aerial inspection, General Badrodin spotted fires near a river in a concession that he said came under a Sinar Mas company. Sinar Mas is the parent of Singapore-based Asia Pulp and Paper.

"There are fires in a Sinar Mas concession that are close to sources of water. Why can't they put out the fires? We are talking about thousands of liters of water near the location of fires. They should not rely too heavily on us," Gen Badrodin told a debriefing meeting.

Agreeing, Mr Luhut added: "Don't make us work for the companies as if we are their employees."

Meanwhile, the association of Indonesian pulpwood plantation companies (APHI) has objected to Singapore's move to investigate its members, locally known as HTI companies, local media reported.

HTI companies investigated by Singapore's National Environment Agency are legal entities in Indonesia, so they fall under Indonesia's legal jurisdiction, APHI deputy chairman Irsyal Yasman was quoted as saying. (k)(++++)


Two russian planes arrive in Palembang to help extinguish forest fires
Antara 21 Oct 15;

Palembang, S Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Two Russian multipurpose Beriev Be-200 Altair amphibious aircraft arrived here on Wednesday to help extinguish forest and plantation fires in South Sumatra.

The Indonesian government rented the Russian aircraft that came with 20 Russian personnel, according to the Commander of the Palembang air force base, Lt. Col MRY Falefie.

"The amphibious planes will take water from Malacca Strait, and will be on standby at the Pangkal Pinang airport," he said.

Pangkal Pinang had enough visibility levels for safe flying. The Russian aircraft can make seven to eight sorties with a water carrying capacity of 12,000 liters of water per sortie.

The Russian aircraft arrived after the Malaysian and Australian aircraft returned to their respective countries on Oct. 19.

Currently, 10 Indonesian aircraft including helicopters, and one Singaporean aircraft are still operating in South Sumatra to carry out water bombing activities and induce artificial rains.

With the assistance of private companies, the Russian aircraft rented by Indonesia will operate until October 31, 2015.

In the meantime, the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) has called on all Muslims in the country to perform an Istisqa or mass prayer asking for rain in an effort to extinguish the ongoing forest and land fires.

Prolonged forest, peatland and plantation fires worsened by El Nino-induced drought, are raging in parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan Islands.

"We urge all Muslims in Indonesia to perform the Istisqa," MUI Chairman KH Maruf Amin told journalists in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The move comes in response to the ongoing forest and land fires in the two main Indonesian islands. The fires have also affected Singapore as well as certain parts of Malaysia and Thailand.

Amin said the Istisqa should be preceded by fasting for three days, saying Istighfar (asking for almighty Gods mercy), improving attitude, and practicing simple and good life.(*)

2 Russian jets land in Indonesia to help douse forest fires
Associated Press Jakarta Post 21 Oct 15;

Two Russian jets that can drop 12.5 tons of water arrived on Sumatra island Wednesday to help douse Indonesia's massive forest fires that have spread smoky haze over parts of Southeast Asia.

The amphibious planes, leased by Indonesia's government and sent by Russia's Emergencies Ministry, can suck 13,250 liters (3,500 gallons) of water from a river or sea in seconds. Similar planes helped extinguish fires on Sumatra and Borneo islands in 2007.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the two Beriev Be-200 planes landed in Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra province. The Russian jets will be deployed to fight the fires soon.

Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and Japan are among the other countries that have sent aircraft, firefighters or chemicals and experts to help fight the forest and brush fires that have raged for months.

Indonesia has been unable to put out the rugged fires, especially in peat-rich provinces on Sumatra and Kalimantan and on the Indonesian part of Borneo island where fires have been worse this year due to intentional burning and the absence of rain because of the El Nino effect.

The fires have spread a thick, smoky haze over Indonesia as well as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. It has forced cancellations of flights and closing of schools, and caused numerous cases of acute respiratory infections. Media have reported at least 7 deaths.

Nugroho said satellite images showed more than 3,200 hotspots on Wednesday, more than two-thirds on Sumatra and Borneo but also appearing on other major islands of Java, Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya said some 1.7 million hectares (4.2 million acres) of forests and plantation land have been razed by fires in Sumatra and Borneo.

"The government has tried hard to extinguish the wildfires across the country, but it has gotten out of control," Nurbaya said. She added that the ministry has revoked licenses of three plantation companies and suspended 11 others.

Indonesia has deployed nearly 26,000 soldiers, police and fire personnel in six provinces to fight the fires, with 25 aircraft conducting water-bombing and cloud-seeding operations.

National Police chief of detective Lt. Gen. Anang Iskandar said two officials of Malaysian companies have been named suspects. Police in several provinces are handling 256 cases with 243 suspects, including 17 company officials, and 83 of the suspects have been arrested.


Indonesia brings in Russian aircraft to tackle haze
Edna Tarigan, thejakartapost.com 20 Oct 15;

Malaysia and Australia's aid to Indonesia in lending water bombing aircraft ended on Monday. So, Indonesia turned to Russia for more help to tackle the haze crisis.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said on Tuesday that Bombardier aircraft from Malaysia and Hercules aircraft from Australia had returned to their respective countries.

"They have ended their five-day mission. There is only Chinook Mustang helicopter conducting water bombing in South Sumatra,” Sutopo said in a statement sent to thejakartapost.com on Tuesday.

He said there are currently 11 helicopters and airplanes, ten from Indonesia and one from Singapore for water bombing and cloud seeding.

"To increase the water bombing efforts, the government brought in two units of amphibi aircraft Beriev Be-200 along with 20 crew from Russia. They will land on Wednesday morning in Palembang," he said, adding that Russian Embassy officials have arrived in Palembang.

Sutopo explained that the the Be-200 plane is a legendary amphibious water bombing aircraft with a 12,000 liter capacity. Its ability includes taking water from rivers, lakes and the sea.

"Indonesia used this type of aircraft in the 2007 forest and land fires," he said.

As part of its strategy, the government moved two Air Tractor planes to Pangkal Pinang, Bangka Belitung province, to support the operation as Palembang airport is covered with thick haze with less visibility that disrupts the flights.

Sutopo added that water tanks with a capacity of 5,000 liters of water, chemical materials and other equipment have been prepared in the Pangkal Pinang base for fire extinguishing operations.

Seperately, Sugarin Hidayat, chief of Pekanbaru Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said there were 623 hot spots detected in Sumatra on Tuesday. The Terra Aqua satellites recorded 19 hot spots in Bengkulul, 67 in Jambi, 23 in Lampung, 456 in South Sumatra, 6 in West Sumatra, 28 in Bangka Belitung and 24 in Riau.

“The weather in Riau is cloudy and covered by haze. The potential for rain is very low, “ he said. (rin)


Indonesian minister's remarks on aid offer 'taken out of context'
Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, The Straits Times AsiaOne 23 Oct 15;

JAKARTA - Comments by a senior Indonesian minister who reportedly called Singapore's offer to help fight fires in Sumatra "insulting" were taken out of context, a close aide said yesterday. "It was put out of context," said Mr Atmadji Sumarkidjo, referring to a report in Tempo magazine this week that quoted Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan.

In the report, presented in a question-and-answer format, Mr Luhut commented on the challenges of putting out peatland fires during this dry season.

But in an apparent reply to a question by Tempo on why the government initially turned down Singapore's offer of assistance, Mr Luhut was quoted as saying that one of the reasons was that Singapore "offered only one aircraft. It was insulting".

The Indonesian publication could not be reached for comment, but Mr Atmadji said: "Menkopolhukam (Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs) himself is close to Singapore leaders, therefore they communicate well and he knows perfectly well that Singapore had sent over two Chinooks and a supporting Hercules (C-130) plane."

When the haze crisis peaked last month, Singapore offered an assistance package that included a C-130 military transport plane for cloud seeding, up to two C-130s to ferry a firefighting assistance team, as well as a CH-47D Chinook helicopter, which can haul a 5,000-litre water bucket for aerial firefighting.

"It was Menkopolhukam who had intensively communicated with Singapore, so they sent over their assistance," added Mr Atmadji. "We will continue to ask Singapore for assistance in the efforts to overcome the haze crisis."