In brief
The Indonesian Muslim Students Association praised the police for naming twenty companies linked to recent forest and land fires, stressing the need for transparent investigations and environmental accountability. The group calls for corporate responsibility and restoration measures to protect Indonesia’s forests and communities.
The Indonesian Muslim Students Association’s Central Executive Board welcomed Jakarta police on Saturday for naming 20 companies as suspects in recent forest and land fires, a move the organization said was a crucial step toward environmental accountability.
Herdiansyah Iskandar, PB HMI’s deputy secretary‑general for strategic policy, told reporters in Jakarta that prosecuting corporations was essential for ensuring equal treatment under the law, and that naming suspects must not commission the end of the investigative process.
“However, naming suspects must not end the process. The state must ensure investigations remain transparent, professional and accountable to provide legal certainty,”
He added that forest and land fires were not only law‑enforcement issues but matters of environmental justice, demanding more than punitive action after damage has occurred.
State Measures and Corporate Responsibility
In the statement, PB HMI urged the government to strengthen prevention by reviewing permits, monitoring concessions, conducting environmental audits and improving early detection in fire‑prone areas.
Herdiansyah said the state must review concession oversight and ensure that all companies meet their environmental protection obligations, stressing that the government must not act only after damage has occurred.
“The government must review concession oversight and ensure all companies meet their environmental protection obligations. The state must not act only after damage has occurred,”
The association pressed that corporate law enforcement should be conditional on environmental restoration. Companies found responsible, he said, must rehabilitate ecosystems and pay compensation in accordance with applicable laws.
“Companies found responsible must rehabilitate ecosystems and pay compensation in accordance with applicable laws,”
He highlighted that the impact of forest and land fires extended beyond forest destruction to public health, local economies, livelihoods and the long‑term sustainability of ecosystems.
“The impact of forest and land fires extends beyond forest destruction to public health, local economies, livelihoods and the long‑term sustainability of ecosystems,”
Regarding foreign‑invested companies, Herdiansyah underscored Indonesia’s legal sovereignty, insisting that environmental laws apply equally to any party regardless of business size, financial resources or investment origin.
“Indonesia welcomes investment, but not at the expense of the environment. Domestic and foreign companies operating here must comply with Indonesian law. No one should receive preferential treatment,”
The PB HMI emphasized that success should not be measured solely by the number of companies named as suspects, but also by remediation, community protection and guarantees against recurring fires.
“Success must not be measured solely by the number of companies named as suspects. It must also include environmental restoration, protection for affected communities and guarantees against recurring fires,”
By applauding the police’s actions, PB HMI hopes the move will encourage comprehensive investigations and proactive protection of Indonesia’s forests and ecosystems.
