Deputy Rights Minister Warns Forest Fires Must Not End With Firefighting

Indonesia’s response to forest and land fires must not stop when the flames go out, Deputy Human Rights Minister Mugiyanto said, urging authorities to focus on the people left behind by the fires.

He said residents who inhale smoke, suffer health problems, lose access to education, or see their livelihoods damaged need protection and recovery support. Accountability must also follow, with those responsible for the fires facing legal action.

Mugiyanto linked the consequences of fires directly to people’s rights to a healthy environment, health care, education, food, water, and decent livelihoods. He called for particular attention to children, older people, pregnant women, people with disabilities, Indigenous communities, and residents who depend on forests and land.

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Forest and land fires are not just about forests and land burning. There are people inhaling smoke, people whose health is affected, children whose schooling is disrupted, and people whose livelihoods are also affected. So after the fire is handled, its impact on people must also be resolved.

He cited President Prabowo Subianto’s visits to affected areas as evidence of the government’s seriousness. Ministries, local governments, the military, police, and community groups have carried out firefighting, health services, education protections, and law enforcement measures.

“The fire must be extinguished, affected communities must recover, and if there are responsible parties, they must be prosecuted,” Mugiyanto said after attending a policy dialogue in Central Jakarta on Aug. 31, 2026.

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The government has already worked to handle the fires and their impacts. What matters now is seeing the response through to completion. The fire must be extinguished, affected communities must recover, and if there are responsible parties, they must be prosecuted.