VZCZCXRO6645
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1216/01 2541023
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111023Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9811
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 2103

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 011216 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/IET, OES/IET, AND OES/ETC 
AID for ANE/TS Mary Melnyk 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV KTIA TPHY TBIO ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA - HAZE PROBLEM CONTINUES 
 
REF: A) 05 JAKARTA 10673  B) 05 JAKARTA 09022 
     C) 06 JAKARTA 10043 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.  After surging again at the end of 
August, the number of forest fires burning in Sumatra and 
Kalimantan declined in the first week of September.  The 
drop seems to be due in large part to central government 
pressure on local authorities and plantations to curb 
burning in advance of the President Yudhoyono's September 4- 
5 trip to Singapore.  Nevertheless, the number of fires 
burning remains high and efforts to implement a permanent 
solution to the haze problem remain limited.  End summary. 
 
High Level of Haze Production Continues in August 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶2.  (U) As our colleagues in Malaysia are aware, the haze 
generated from fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan worsened 
during the final week of August, with hotspots in Kalimantan 
and Sumatra reaching 2,718 and 690, respectively, on August 
25, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA) satellite data.  Air quality and 
visibility in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and the surrounding areas 
continued to deteriorate as a result of the haze, disrupting 
shipping and aviation in the area, and prompting an increase 
in respiratory ailments among local residents.  The haze 
also continues to affect neighboring countries.  Air quality 
in the nearby Malaysian town of Kuching reached 157 
particles per million (ppm) in late August. (Experts 
consider a reading over 100 ppm to be unhealthy.) 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Although shifting cultivation practices by small 
farmers contribute to the burning, many outside observers 
believe plantation clearing is largely to blame.  According 
to the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI), roughly 
81 percent of the hotspots detected by satellite sensors 
since 2001 were in areas belonging to private plantations. 
A number of observers have told us plantation owners often 
pay small farmers to clear plantation land in order to 
distance themselves from the activity. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Early September data revealed a decline in the 
number of hotspots in Sumatra and Kalimantan, although the 
level remained significant.  As of September 5, there were 
1,374 hotspots recorded in Kalimantan and 354 hotspots 
recorded in Sumatra.  An increase in rainfall and 
significant pressure from the central government to stop new 
burning prior to President Yudhoyono's September 4-5 visit 
to Singapore, one of many neighboring countries that 
complained recently about the export of haze, seem to have 
contributed to the decline. 
 
¶5.  (U) More recently, September 10 NOAA data revealed a 
continued decline in the number of hotspots in Kalimantan 
and a significant increase in the number of hotspots in 
Sumatra.  The number of hotspots on September 10 in 
Kalimantan and Sumatra reached 635 and 1,172, respectively. 
The increase in hotspots in Sumatra was due to both new 
fires and the hot, dry weather in the region that 
significantly raised land surface temperatures.  NOAA 
satellites interpret any land area with a surface 
temperature exceeding 42 degrees Celsius as a hotspot. 
 
Recent Increase in Preventive Actions Largely Cosmetic 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) In addition to putting pressure on local 
government leaders to tackle the haze problem, the 
Government of Indonesia (GOI) has stepped up fire fighting 
efforts in recent weeks, including using helicopters to drop 
water bombs and seeding clouds to induce rainfall in 
affected areas.  In addition, local authorities recently 
arrested a group of small farmers suspected of setting 
fires.  While these steps contributed marginally to the 
reduction in the number of hotspots, they are unlikely to 
make a permanent dent in the haze problem. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment.  The haze problem persists in Indonesia 
in large part due to the local political influence of 
plantation owners, who produce significant amounts of tax 
revenue and jobs in the affected areas.  As a result, 
plantation owners in Sumatra and Kalimantan are very often 
able to clear land cheaply through burning while escaping 
serious punishment.  Unless the economic incentive for local 
authorities to avoid prosecuting plantation owners changes, 
haze production is likely to continue at high levels in the 
years to come. 
 
 
JAKARTA 00011216  002 OF 002 
 
 
PASCOE