JAKARTA, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has ordered police to investigate the potential criminal liability of companies linked to forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, saying license revocation alone would not be sufficient.
The order was issued during a cabinet meeting Wednesday that discussed firefighting efforts and mitigation measures for the next month and a half, which authorities consider a period of heightened fire risk.
Prabowo said companies found responsible for the fires should have their licenses revoked and face criminal investigations.
Indonesia's Kalimantan and Sumatra regions have faced widespread forest and land fires this year, with haze disrupting flights, forcing school closures and causing hazardous air quality in parts of the country. ■
