"They must take responsibility for their actions, which are making local inhabitants restless," Adjunct Commissioner, Taufik Suwardi, of the Indragiri Hulu police resort said on Monday.
The police will indiscriminately sanction anyone, who is found deliberately setting fire to forests or plantation areas, he stated.
"We will impose stern sanctions," he said.
Since January 2015, the Indragiri Hulu police have arrested five farmers for opening farming areas by using fire.
In the meantime, President Joko Widodo has ordered security agencies to take action against companies, which have burnt down fields that has caused haze in six provinces.
"I have ordered the national police chief to take the sternest possible action against companies that violate the laws," he said while inspecting the forest fire in the Pulau Geronggang village in Ogan Komering Ilir, South Sumatra, on Sunday.
President Widodo also reminded all ministries/institutions, TNI (military)/police, and related offices that prevention is the best policy.
He emphasized that companies violating the law must be held responsible, adding that he had on several earlier occasions cautioned many plantation companies that harsh actions would be taken against those found guilty of setting fires to their fields.
The head of state affirmed that companies must also be responsible for the areas around their fields.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
