BNPB Chief Warns of Black Campaign over Haze Issue

Pekanbaru, Riau (Antara) - The chief of Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Syamsul Maarif, has called for alertness over the possibility of certain parties exploiting the current haze problem for a black campaign against the country.

At a press conference here on Saturday he called on all parties to rely on BNPN for all formal statements about forest and land fires as well mitigation efforts.

"It is only BNPB that has the right to make the statements. That is the President's order," he said.

The head of the presidential working unit for development supervision and control (UKP4), Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, said recently 190 hotspots were detected in two companies' concession areas.

Kuntoro said the two companies are APP and APRIL that have industrial forests in Riau province.

Asked about it Syamsul said he could not confirm it adding that he has so far always cooperated with offices concerned in determining the number of fires and according to latest monitoring through NOAA satellite by the Pekanbaru office of the Meteorology, Geophysics and Climatology (BMKG) on Friday the number of hotspots was only 19.

To prevent possible black campaign which may be used by certain parties to discredit the Indonesian government, Syamsul called on all stakeholders to exercise restraint and not engage in polemics in the mass media.

"Let us just unite and work together to put out the fires in Riau. Parties must not issue statements in the media only to discredit each other," he added. (*)