Indonesia government considering harsher punishments for forest burners

The rules will allow the seizure of profits from companies or individuals who have benefited financially from the intentional burning of land

JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities are studying a plan to mete out harsher penalties to companies found burning forest and peat land, an environment ministry official said, as the country faces its worst forest fires and haze problems since 2015.

The country has spent months battling fires, often caused by slash-and-burn farming practices, as the El Nino weather pattern exacerbates the annual dry season and helps create a choking haze across the region.