Singapore Cannot Enter Indonesia’s Legal Domain on Forest Fire Issues: Forestry Minister

Jakarta, 10 Ramadan 1437/15 June 2016 (MINA) – Singapore cannot step further to enter Indonesia’s legal domain on the issue of forest fires because the two countries do not have an agreement in the matter, said Indonesia’s Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar.

“The protocol on forest fires in the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) is a multilateral agreement, so there was never a bilateral agreement between Indonesia and Singapore, that must be remembered,” Dr Nurbaya was quoted by CNA as saying during a breaking of fast session with reporters on Monday night.

She was responding to a question about Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) which it passed in 2014 to go after companies that start fires or let their concessions burn.

Indonesia has taken issue with Singapore’s attempts to act against companies responsible for the haze-causing forest fires that choked parts of Indonesia and the region. Jakarta previously objected by lodging a strong protest through its ambassador in Singapore.

Dr Nurbaya said that she has explained to Singapore’s Foreign Minister that the THPA is controversial, and that it is being continuously discussed on the Asean’s sub-regional ministers level between Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.

She added that every country who adhered to the ASEAN agreement needs to respect the sovereignty of each other’s country.

What Singapore has done did not show mutual respect to Indonesia, she said.

“Previously, Singapore’s Environment Minister always gives an assessment on policies in Indonesia, for instance, on peatland, it should be like this and like that. That to me, is not an attitude that showed mutual respect,” said Dr Nurbaya. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)