National Police Chief Claims Neighboring Countries Involved in Forest Fires; How to Investigate?

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - National Police Chief General Suyudi Ario Seto stated that there are foreign entities, specifically neighboring countries, involved in the forest and land fires (karhutla) in Indonesia. How can this issue be investigated?

Teuku Rezasyah, an International Relations lecturer at President University, emphasized that handling forest fires should involve enforcement of environmental law and ongoing monitoring.

According to him, the government needs to strengthen oversight of foreign entities operating in Indonesia.

Rezasyah proposed that crimes related to forest destruction be treated with a more serious approach.

"It is time for Indonesia to adopt a new stance, where anyone involved in forest crime will be treated under an environmental terrorism framework," Rezasyah told Kompas.com on Wednesday (21/10/2026).

Collaboration with Interpol and ASEANAPOL is Necessary

Teuku Rezasyah stated that addressing parties suspected of involvement in karhutla who are outside of Indonesia's jurisdiction requires collaboration with international police agencies (Interpol).

"For offenders outside Indonesia’s jurisdiction, we need to engage ASEANAPOL and Interpol," Rezasyah explained.

ASEANAPOL is a cooperative network among police forces in Southeast Asian countries, while Interpol facilitates international police cooperation.

Such collaboration allows law enforcement to coordinate efforts in handling cross-border issues in accordance with legal authority and applicable mechanisms.

However, the presence of companies or parties suspected of involvement abroad does not automatically allow Indonesian authorities to enforce the law directly in those countries.

Handling these cases depends on legal bases, the authority of each country, and the forms of cooperation that can be pursued.

Monitor Foreign Nationals Entering Indonesia

In addition to law enforcement, he highlighted the need for stringent oversight of foreign nationals entering Indonesia.

He stated that monitoring should be tightened to ensure immigration facilities are not exploited for activities beyond permitted purposes.

"Oversight of foreign parties will be conducted more strictly, so they can no longer easily exploit Visa on Arrival (VoA) for activities outside of tourism," he asserted.

ANTARA/Agatha Olivia Victoria. Teuku Rezasyah, an international relations observer from Unpad.

Rezasyah also suggested that forests in Indonesia should receive systematic and ongoing oversight.

He believes that such monitoring should be accompanied by regular security measures.

"All forest areas in Indonesia should be treated as National Vital Objects, demanding systematic and ongoing supervision supported by regular troop deployments," he said.

Read also: Haze From Forest Fires: A Common Issue for ASEAN

Rezasyah Predicts Investigation Will Be Challenging: There is the ASEAN Way