"I have just ordered the dispatch of 1,000 soldiers to Riau immediately to overcome the thick smog". Jokowi told journalists in Doha.
Doha (ANTARA News) - President Joko (Jokowi) Widodo has instructed (concerned parties) to send 1,000 military personnel to Riau Province in order to help extinguish forest fires in the region.

"Although I am on a visit to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar I continue to monitor the development relating to the forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan," the president told journalists in Doha on Monday.

The head of state said "I have just ordered the dispatch of 1,000 soldiers to Riau immediately to overcome the thick smog".

Last week, a total of 1,000 soldiers were sent to help put out the forest fires in South Sumatra.

"Previously, 1,000 soldiers had been sent to Ogan Ilir, Musi Banyuasin, Banyu Asin because concentration of the forest fires were in the tree districts. Now we add 1,000 military personnel to Riau," Jokowi stated.

In addition, the president has also received information about rainfall in Riau.

Although it rained and extinguishing efforts continue to be made but the president insisted that law enforcement efforts should be conducted so that forest fires will not recur every year.

"I have asked chief of the National Police to uphold the law enforcement, so it (forest fires) will not occur every year. I also ask the local government and citizens to jointly extinguish the fores, he explained.

Previously, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had ordered every stakeholder to help extinguish forest fires and to tackle haze engulfing parts of Indonesia over the past few weeks, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Head Willem Rampangilei stated.

"The presidents instruction on the ongoing haze disaster is to extinguish the fires and to end the haze problem immediately," Rampangilei remarked while visiting the command post of the forest fire task force at the Roesmin Nurjadin Air Force Base, Pekanbaru, recently.

"Within two weeks, plantation fires must be put out," Rampangilei quoted Jokowi as saying.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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