72 arrested in Indonesia on suspicion of starting forest fires

Key Points:

• Indonesian police arrested 72 suspects linked to recent forest and peatland fires in Borneo and Sumatra, which have caused a hazardous haze affecting Indonesia and neighboring Malaysia.
• The fires, exacerbated by El Nino and a prolonged dry season, are believed to be deliberately set by plantation owners and farmers to clear land cheaply, with investigations ongoing into potential company involvement.
• President Prabowo Subianto visited Central Kalimantan to oversee firefighting efforts, promising government support including helicopters and water pumps, and vowed to hold responsible companies accountable.
• Over 3,700 fire hotspots were recorded on Borneo and more than 1,700 in South Sumatra, with ongoing cloud-seeding and aerial firefighting operations deployed to contain the blazes.
• Malaysia’s Sarawak state experienced severe smoke pollution from the fires, leading to unhealthy air quality, school closures affecting nearly 200,000 students, and widespread public health concerns.