FIRES IN INDONESIA

Mr Simon S.C. Tay asked the Minister for the Environment what steps have been taken to deal with the fires in Indonesia that have and are again causing haze pollution in the region.

The Minister for the Environment (Mr Lee Yock Suan): Mr Speaker, Sir, at the last ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Haze held in Singapore in August last year, ASEAN Environment Ministers agreed that plantation fires are the root cause of the regional haze problem. The Indonesian Government was urged to enforce against plantation companies that use fires to carry out land clearing activities, and to put in place the necessary regulations to enforce a zero-burning policy.

Indonesia has since announced its draft Regulation to implement the zero-burning policy. In January this year, the Indonesian Government held a dialogue with about 60 plantation companies in Sumatra to notify them of this impending Regulation. The plantation companies were also told of Jakarta's determination to enforce against illegal burning activities. Indonesia has also stepped up its awareness-building programmes in fire-prone provinces such as Riau and South Sumatra to alert local populations to the threat of another haze disaster. All these are positive efforts on the part of the Indonesian Government.

On the ground, unfortunately, political and economic problems have continued to hamper Indonesia's ability and effort to prevent plantation fires. In fact, as we know, there are already large-scale burning activities taking place in Central Sumatra. As a result, the Riau province is affected by severe smoke haze.

My Ministry has been in constant contact with the Indonesian authorities to track the situation in Riau. To date, Indonesian officials have confirmed with us that most of the recent fires were started by plantation companies to clear land for cultivation purpose. The Indonesian Environmental Impact Management Agency (BAPEDAL) has since despatched teams of officials to investigate the fires in Riau and to take measures to suppress the fires. They also intend to round up the plantation companies and conduct a dialogue to remind them not to use fire to clear land.

On our part, Singapore has been providing Indonesia with National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite pictures to alert them to the locations of hot spots since the beginning of the latest spate of fires in Riau. Recently, at the request of the Indonesian authorities, we have also started to provide Jakarta with higher resolution pictures acquired from the French SPOT satellites. These are pictures that can pinpoint the locations of fires up to a resolution of 20 metres. We hope that such information would be helpful to the Indonesian authorities in their efforts to act against the errant plantation companies.

Besides satellite pictures, Singapore has also been providing other forms of technical assistance to Indonesia. To date, we have provided them with communication and computer equipment to facilitate fire detection and enforcement, air monitoring equipment, as well as training for their local officials in the area of satellite imagery and air quality monitoring. We will continue to offer such assistance if requested by Indonesia.

I have since written to the Indonesian State Minister for the Environment, Dr Sonny Keraf, to express to him Singapore's concern over the fires in Sumatra. I have also sought the co-operation of his office to undertake prompt and firm enforcement actions against plantation companies that use fire to clear land. My counterpart in Malaysia has likewise expressed his concern to Dr Keraf.

The current La Nina event is expected to weaken in the months ahead. Weather experts have predicted that the El Nino dry conditions may return in the later half of this year or in 2001. For now, because of the prevailing wind directions, Singapore's air quality is not likely to be badly affected by haze originating from fires in Sumatra. However, if the fires and haze there persist in the months ahead, our air quality can be significantly affected when the winds blow in our direction.

My Ministry will continue to work closely with the Indonesian authorities to urge them to take immediate actions to avert another major haze episode. We will also continue to participate actively in regional and international efforts by working closely with our other ASEAN neighbours as well as international agencies and donor countries on programmes that would help Indonesia improve its ability to deal with the problem. To this end, ASEAN Environment Ministers will be meeting in early April to review the situation.

Mr Simon S C Tay (Nominated Member): Sir, given that the fires have recurred, does the Minister believe that the new Indonesian government understands the need for urgency, and the fact that there is a question of credibility of the new reform government at stake?

Mr Lee Yock Suan: Mr Speaker, Sir, I am very much encouraged by the response so far by the Indonesian government, by President Abdurrahman Wahid and by the Environment Minister, Dr Sonny Keraf. I think they are trying their best to resolve the problem which, of course, is a very difficult issue. They have threatened so far to prosecute and suspend the licences of four companies which have been found to be causing the fires. I think it is very important for Indonesia to show that it has the political commitment and the will to tackle this problem and to prevent it from becoming a disaster for the region again. Not only will it affect the people living in Pekanbaru and other areas in Sumatra and Kalimantan near the fires, where the haze has caused the index to shoot up at some point to about 1,000. Over here, when it was close to 200, we could already smell the smoke and it was causing health problems. Right there, near the fire locations, the fires are really causing health problems to the people living there. And, of course, it is burning up Indonesia's resources as well.

It may be helpful here if I inform Members about the response of Dr Keraf to my letter. I am pleased to inform the House that he has responded and informed me that ground checks had confirmed that hot spots detected by satellite pictures were largely due to land clearing activities using fire. He has assured me that his government is taking comprehensive measures to address the situation, including strengthening its national strategy in controlling land and forest fires.

Dr Keraf also revealed that on the ground, district fire fighting teams have been mobilised in all regions where hot spots have been detected, and that law enforcement teams have been despatched to the field to investigate plantation companies on whose land fires were detected.

We also welcome Dr Keraf's public warning that his government would revoke the licences of forestry concession holders and plantation companies if they are found to be responsible for any illegal burning activities. Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid himself has also reportedly said that his government would take all steps possible to stop the plantation fires, and that he had personally "instructed the Cabinet Ministers to take measures to handle the problem."

All these are positive developments that demonstrate Jakarta's anxiousness to do its utmost to avert another regional haze disaster. Indeed, Jakarta has since announced that enough evidence has been gathered against four large plantation companies in Riau, and that the authorities were prepared to prosecute them for flouting the law. I hope that all those responsible for the catastrophic situation in Riau recently will be brought to task soon.

Mr Simon Tay: Sir, may I ask the Minister two further questions? First, given that the emphasis is on the need for law enforcement, is there some room to focus work not only at the Ministry of the Environment between our countries, but also with the Attorney-General and law enforcement agencies? My second question is that since large companies are involved, and some of these companies trade or may have Singaporean, Malaysian or other regional investments, is it timely to consider a code of conduct for Singapore companies who invest, trade and lend monies to companies in Indonesia, in relation to fires?

Mr Lee Yock Suan: Sir, I think it is very important for Indonesia to make sure that its laws are clear and there are sufficient teeth to take action against the culprits. Unfortunately, at the moment, I think the laws are not really water tight. I read of reports in newspapers and elsewhere that they have to actually get the evidence and find out who started the fires, and they have taken video pictures and so on. There is also a need for them to make clear the structure of enforcement. Is it the BAPEDAL, the environment agency that is responsible, or is it the forestry and plantation people who are responsible? Or is it the local provincial officials? All these have to be clarified and, of course, on the legal side, the Attorney-General could well play a part. To the extent that we can help them in these areas, I am sure we will be happy to do so within the ASEAN framework.

On his second question whether it is timely to take action like a code of conduct for companies, our stand has consistently been that we separate trade from other matters like environment and labour. I think that is an important distinction for us to make and we have done that during the WTO meeting here and other WTO forums. I think we will be very reluctant to depart from that position. On the other hand, if Singaporeans find the haze intolerable, on their own they might find it not worth their while to support companies that are causing the fires in Indonesia.