Your comments on the possibility of worsening haze next month, as the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) warned, due to the proliferation of forest fires:

In the near future, most people living in the greater Riau area (including its surrounding nations) need to ensure their survival by wearing proper dust masks. They will also be required to bring along respiratory aid gear with oxygen anywhere they go.

This is a great opportunity for suppliers, distributors, agents, sub-agents and resellers of haze repellent equipment or such breathing apparatuses.

I think those crooked businesspeople, the same people who ignite the notorious bush and forest fires, are excited to learn about this urgent market demand. They will make more money by selling the equipment.

John Isles
Jakarta

Alas, we are starting to get serious about haze mitigation. There should be a special brigade that disseminates information to residents of the affected areas. Their respective village chiefs must be tired of having to reprimand the recalcitrant farmers.

Also, there must be other methods that can be used to clear land as opposed to just the slash-and-burn technique.

Helicopters need to continuously patrol and the pilots should be in direct communication with the firefighters on land to allow for better communication.

Permanent water pipes can also be installed in fire prone areas, but villagers need to be provided with a sufficient supply of water so they won'€™t be tempted to steal water from the pipes.

Hopefully we can put a stop to these fires, which aside from harming our people, they also annoy our neighbors.

Moeljono Adikoesoemo
Jakarta

A few days ago, a NASA satellite detected 1,046 hotspots in Sumatra.  

The Riau provincial police have announced that 40 individuals have been named suspects for causing the forest and plantations fires, but these suspects are really just scapegoats while the police have failed to arrest the masterminds (owners of the concessions).

As in the past, naming suspects is useless and will not stop the fires. It is time for the government to make a bold move instead.  

The government should revoke the licenses of the concessions, and arrest the masterminds and the serial arsonists that employ the slash-and-burn methods every year.

DT Van man

Arrest the scum that are causing so much trouble. The people are suffering.

Valkyrie

Jakarta is already alarmed at Singapore'€™s plans to introduce a law in which Singapore could sue Indonesian companies for causing fires. I really doubt Jakarta is alarmed; more like amused! Public International law on transboundary acts are clear cut.

Some have said that the US should take the bulk of the blame for buying up palm oil products. If there is no demand, there would be more untouched forests and more oxygen.

Global warming will kill the palm oil industry, only then will the blame game stop. And only then will scientists get to work to find alternatives to cheap palm oil derivatives.

Galileo

Topic of the day

Boediono and graft in Bank Century

Vice President Boediono, then Bank Indonesia (BI) governor, and other previous members of the board of governors, has been implicated in graft after he was mentioned in the dossier of Bank Century graft suspect Budi Mulya, who is also former BI deputy governor. What do you think?

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