Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia (Komnas HAM RI) has expressed serious concern over the forest and land fires (karhutla) that have occurred in various regions of Indonesia over the past two months.
Throughout June–July 2025, forest and land fires have reached an area of 8,594 hectares.
Based on data collected by Komnas HAM, forest and land fires have occurred in at least North Sumatra (18 regencies/cities), West Sumatra (9 regencies/cities), South Kalimantan (4 regencies/cities), and Riau (3 regencies/cities).
Based on public complaints and reports from various parties, the forest and land fires have impacted the fulfillment of human rights, including the right to a good and healthy environment, the right to health, and have had widespread effects on the economic and social rights of the community, especially vulnerable groups.
“Komnas HAM emphasizes that forest and land fires are not merely natural events but are suspected to be due to negligence, inaction, weak law enforcement, poor land and concession governance, as well as being a consequence of climate change and widespread agrarian conflicts,” said Saurlin P. Siagian, Commissioner for Human Rights Monitoring at Komnas HAM.
In an official statement, Saurlin P. Siagian, the Commissioner for Human Rights Monitoring, stated that Komnas HAM believes the fires directly impact the fulfilment of human rights, particularly the right to a good and healthy environment.
This right is guaranteed in Article 28H Paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution, Article 9 Paragraph (1) of Law Number 39 of 1999 on Human Rights, and various other human rights norms.
To protect and fulfill human rights, Komnas HAM requests that the central and local governments, as well as law enforcement agencies, take the following actions:
1. Prevention of forest and land fires to prevent them from spreading to wider areas, and to place community participation, especially local and indigenous communities, as part of the solution.
2. Law enforcement, including thoroughly and non-discriminatorily investigating forest and land fires. Law enforcement must identify and take action against the actors involved, both individuals and corporations, including applying the principle of strict liability. The legal process must be transparent and accountable to the public.
Next, 3. For the restoration of human rights, the state is obligated to ensure environmental restoration and the fulfillment of the rights of fire victims, including access to health services, education, and economic support.
4. Corporate oversight: Corporations have a responsibility to respect human rights. The government is obligated to strengthen oversight and sanctions against corporations that fail to apply due diligence principles and meet due diligence aspects in the management of land and forests within their concessions.
5. Transparency: The government must be open and publish the results of real-time monitoring of forest and land fires within corporate concessions, both inside and outside forest areas.
6. Komnas HAM’s perspective: The government must conduct a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation of land and concession governance.
This step should be accompanied by systems for supervision, licensing, and law enforcement in the agrarian and natural resources sectors, including forestry and plantations. (*)
