INDONESIA: Indonesia deploys military and police to put out the forest fires in Sumatra

Record ID: 344326

  • Title: INDONESIA: Indonesia deploys military and police to put out the forest fires in Sumatra
  • Date: 25th June 2013
  • Summary: JAKARTA, INDONESIA (JUNE 25, 2013) (REUTERS) PLANES AND ARMY EQUIPMENT AT MILITARY BASE SOLDIERS GATHERING AT HANGER VARIOUS OF MILITARY PERSONNEL VARIOUS OF FIRE FIGHTERS SIGN ON JACKET READING "SMART FOREST FIRE & RESCUE" INDONESIA PRESIDENT SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO ON PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) PRESIDENT SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO, SAYING: "You have to put out the burning fire and smoke that is in Riau, are you clear? Are you ready to do it? If you are ready to do it, then do it well." MILITARY PERSONNEL YUDHOYONO LEAVING YUDHOYONO INSPECTING EQUIPMENT YUDHOYONO CARRYING BACKPACK YUDHOYONO LEAVING MILITARY BASE (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) HEAD OF THE NATIONAL DISASTER MITIGATION AGENCY, SYAMSUL MAARIF, SAYING: "The President has instructed that the focus of our mission is to put out the fires and also to prevent new fires." MAARIF SURROUNDED BY JOURNALISTS INDONESIAN PALM OIL PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION SIGNBOARD CAMERAMAN FILMING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) ASSOCIATION SECRETARY GENERAL JOKO SUPRIYANTO, SAYING: "The association has committed to environment friendly practices, not to clear land by burning." JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 10th July 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Indonesia
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Topics: Disasters,Environment
  • Reuters ID: LVA7VK27BAP12LKD2BVNS3BK6JU0
  • Story Text: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono sends 2000 military, police personnel, paramedics and firemen to extinguish Sumatra's forest fires.
    Indonesia on Tuesday (June 25) deployed 2000 personnel from the military, police, paramedics and firefighters to fight forest fires in Riau province, Sumatra.
    President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Indonesia was doing everything it could to contain the fires on the island of Sumatra, including the deployment of military aircraft to waterbomb the blazes, and has earmarked around 200 billion rupiah ($20 million) to handle the disaster.
    Yudhoyono met the personnel and checked the equipment before sending them off from a Jakarta military base.
    "You have to put out the burning fire and smoke that is in Riau, are you clear? Are you ready to do it? If you are ready to do it, then do it well," he told them to great cheers.
    Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, Syamsul Maarif, also reiterated government's decision to send the military personnel to tackle the fires.
    "The President has instructed that the focus of our mission is to put out the fires and also to prevent new fires," Maarif said.
    He added paramedics will help the residents who has complained about the haze affecting their health.
    Yudhoyono has apologized on Monday (June 24) for the raging forest fires that have blanketed its neighbours Singapore and Malaysia with thick smog in Southeast Asia's worst air pollution crisis in 16 years.
    Indonesia's environment minister said eight domestic firms were suspected of being responsible for the blazes on Sumatra island. The parent companies of those firms included Malaysia-listed Sime Darby, which has denied wrongdoing.
    The Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association said it urged all members to implement zero burning policy. 26 fire trucks have been deployed to five districts that were badly hit by fires.
    "The President has instructed that the focus of our mission is to put out the fires and also to prevent new fires," said Association Secretary General Joko Supriyono.
    The week-long environmental crisis, which has seen air pollution in Singapore and Malaysia reach hazardous levels, is damaging tourism and businesses in both countries and could result in a bigger economic impact than the 1997 haze crisis which cost an estimated $9 billion.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register