Prabowo warns regional critics Indonesia won’t be ‘insulted’ over haze

Indonesia’s president railed against “countries that like to insult” his nation over wildfires that have razed vast areas, spewing toxic Haze into neighbouring countries.The Southeast Asian giant has for months struggled to contain fires that Nusantara Atlas, an independent monitor analysing satellite data, said had consumed more than 1.9 million hectares (4.7 million acres) in the nine months to September.The Haze has sent air pollution levels surging to dangerous levels not only at home, but also in Malaysia, Singapore and East Timor, prompting the Asean regional bloc to call a meeting over the crisis.“As for certain countries that like to insult the Indonesian nation, when the time comes, we will reveal the companies involved,” Prabowo Subianto told a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, claiming that “many corporations bear responsibility” for the crisis. He did not name names or nationalities.Commuters drive past commercial buildings covered by Haze in Shah Alam in Malaysia’s Selangor state on Wednesday. Photo: EPAThe leaders of Indonesia’s neighbours have offered help while steering clear of overt criticism at the highest diplomatic level. With public anger growing, however, a Malaysian MP last week called for Indonesia to be treated as an “outcast” in the region.“Indonesia is a polite and patient nation. Our country is often insulted, but believe me, our nation does not want to be insulted all the time,” Prabowo said.The president said he had asked for investigations into the cause of the fires which he insisted was “not purely natural”.Experts say Indonesia’s wildfires can be blamed in large part on slash-and-burn land-clearing practices that result in the destruction of fire-resistant forest cover and drained peatlands. This year, the blazes were intensified by a severe drought fuelled by the El Nino weather phenomenon.