Indonesia to accept foreign assistance to fight forest fires
Malaysia and Singapore have offered assistance, while Indonesian officials work on technical arrangements and plan a review of domestic firefighting resources.
- President Prabowo Subianto has officially approved accepting foreign assistance to combat Indonesia's worst forest fire season in more than a decade.
- The decision clarifies Indonesia's position after days of mixed signals regarding aid offers from neighboring countries, including Malaysia and Singapore.
- Before accepting specific aid, Indonesia's disaster agency will first assess its own resources to determine what type of international help is most needed to speed up the response.
President Prabowo Subianto has approved foreign help for Indonesia’s firefighting campaign, Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir confirmed on October 15, as the country confronts its worst fire season in more than a decade.
Blazes burning nationwide, particularly in Sumatra and Kalimantan, have been aggravated by a strong El Niño.
The resulting haze has spread beyond Indonesia to other parts of South-east Asia.
Air travel and schooling have been disrupted in Indonesia and neighbouring countries, with flights cancelled and schools shut.
Respiratory illnesses have also increased because of the haze.
Indonesia’s newly appointed disaster agency chief, Lieutenant-General Kristomei Sianturi, plans to establish what resources local and central governments already have before identifying international assistance that could speed up the response.
“I will first take stock of the assets we have at our disposal,” he told reporters at the Presidential Palace.
The national disaster mitigation agency, BNPB, is overseeing the technical discussions, according to Arrmanatha.
Speaking at the Parliament building in central Jakarta, the minister confirmed that neighbouring countries’ offers were being processed, with the matter “currently under discussion at the technical level”.
“This is a very serious matter, one that is receiving the direct attention of the President,” Arrmanatha emphasised.
He also stressed that Prabowo’s instructions and directives had been firm.
His confirmation clarified Indonesia’s response to offers from Malaysia and Singapore after several days of mixed signals from officials.
Neither country’s offer had been explicitly rejected.
On October 14, Honi Havana, spokesman for the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs, had highlighted the practical arrangements requiring agreement.
“We have to discuss the operational requirements,” state news agency Antara quoted him as saying, including how personnel deployment and logistical support would work.
Environment Minister Jumhur Hidayat had expressed similar reservations on October 13, calling for an assessment of the type and significance of the assistance.
According to Antara, he wanted the government to “curate” what was offered “to make sure that it fits”, arguing that this would help avoid mistakes later.
Source: The Straits Times
