The Indonesian government yesterday revoked the permits of 29 companies it suspects started fires that have caused the polluted smog that has been enveloping much of South-East Asia for weeks. The haze swept into the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, for the first time yesterday morning, as the government banned a demonstration in protest at its handling of the crisis.
The official Antara news agency said the revocations followed an ultimatum to 176 timber companies to account for their actions after satellite data images showed so-called fire hotspots on land licensed to the firms.
"The number of logging licences revoked is 151," said the directorgeneral for forest protection and preservation, Mr Soemarsono. He said some of the 29 companies lost more than one licence, but did not elaborate.
Malaysia warned that although its skies had cleared now, they could again fill with smog from Indonesia if current wind conditions changed.
"What we know is that the worst for Indonesia in terms of the forest fires is far from over and that could mean we are still at risk," said Malaysia's environment department director-general, Mr Tan Meng Leng.
International efforts to extinguish the fires were stepped up yesterday as the United Nations increased the size of its disaster team in Indonesia from four to seven people. Its officials said there was little sign of an end to the smog that is also blighting Thailand and Singapore.
Blown by easterly winds, the smoke from fires in East and Central Java cast a depressing pall for several hours above Jakarta's skyscrapers yesterday before the sun eventually burned it off late in the afternoon.
It was much worse than a typical bad day in Jakarta, a British market dealer, Mr Geoffrey McDonald, said from his 21st-floor office in the city centre. Indonesian meteorologists predict the capital will be affected for at least two weeks.
A western satellite image analyser said yesterday that up to 10,000 hotspots were still being detected across Indonesia every day.