Prabowo Orders Firm Police Action against Fire Corporations

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Indonesian President, Prabowo Subianto, has instructed the Indonesian National Police (Polri) to take firm action against all parties proven to be responsible for wildfires, including corporations involved in fires in several regions.

Prabowo stressed that law enforcement must be carried out comprehensively, including against those who own and manage the corporations. He said forest and land fires not only harm communities but also cause serious environmental damage.

During a closed-door meeting on natural disaster management developments at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday, 7 September 2026, Prabowo instructed National Police Chief, General Listyo Sigit Prabowo to continue investigating the alleged involvement of corporations and report the identities of those responsible.

"Continue the investigation, and I want the names of these corporations to be brought to me immediately. If necessary, we should revoke all of them. Revoke all their permits, their land use rights, and so on. This has gone too far, and I also want to know exactly who owns these corporations," Prabowo said.

The President also highlighted alleged cases in which forest areas were quickly converted into plantations after fires. He asked the police to determine whether the fires were caused by local communities or were part of corporate activities.

During the meeting, The National Police Chief reported that from 1 January to 6 September 2026, Polri had handled 200 police reports related to wildfires. A total of 138 people had been named suspects in cases involving a total burned area of 8,637.35 hectares, while eight corporations were also undergoing legal proceedings.

"We are currently processing 200 cases. There are 138 suspects, and eight corporations are also being prosecuted. We are also investigating 18 companies, while 42 companies have been subjected to administrative sanctions, including the suspension or revocation of their permits. If we later find evidence of criminal offenses, we will take legal action," Listyo stressed.