Indonesia still desperately fighting fires

An Indonesian ranger inspecting the peat forest fire at Meulaboh, Aceh province on July 26, 2017. - PHOTO: AFP

FOR the umpteenth time, fires have burned our forests and peatland, posing threats not only to people in the vicinity but also to our relationships with our neighbours because of the cross-border haze caused by the man-made disasters.

Unsurprisingly, President Joko Jokowi Widodo has renewed his call for an end to the fires. He said he had ordered Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto to gather regional heads, military and police commanders from across the country to devise a comprehensive and concerted plan to fight the fires.