Indonesia sends more soldiers, helicopters to fight forest fire
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on September 17 that about 5,600 additional military personnel have been deployed to help 9,000 people currently fighting bush fires which have razed more than 328,700 hectares of land nationwide.
Forest fire in Riau province of Indonesia (Photo: AFP)
Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on September17 that about 5,600 additional military personnel have been deployed to help9,000 people currently fighting bush fires which have razed more than 328,700hectares of land nationwide.
At least 52 helicopters have been mobilised for the work, spraying more than263 million litres of water and 164 tonnes tonnes of salt for cloud seeding aspart of the firefighting efforts in six provinces which have declared states ofemergency.
Widodo also flew to Riau province, where nearly 50,000 hectares of forest haveburned, to encourage authorities to get the haze under control.
Nearly every year, Indonesian forest fires spread health-damaging haze acrossthe country and into neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore. The fires are oftenstarted by smallholders and plantation owners who set land on fire as a cheapway of clearing it for new planting.
Many areas of Indonesia are prone to rapid burning because of thedraining of swampy peatlands forests for pulp wood and palm oil plantations.
Poor visibility caused by smoke caused flight delays at severalairports in Indonesia and Malaysia, and prompted authorities to shut downschools in some parts of both countries.
The Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency detected 2,153 hotspotsacross the country on September 16, mostly in the six provinces of Riau, Jambi,South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan./.
Indonesian Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar said on September 13 that some forest fires in its territory had started on land used by subsidiaries of Malaysian companies.
A satellite image showed thick haze from a forest fire in Indonesia spreading into Malacca Strait, Singapore and Malaysia on September 14, according to the Indonesian meteorology and geophysics agency.
Many schools on Indonesia’s Borneo and Sumatra islands on September 16 were closed due to choking smoke from forest fires while the country has recorded thousands of respiratory infection cases.
The Ministry of Commerce reported that imports also rose 18% to 29.9 billion USD during the same period, resulting in a trade surplus of 1.1 billion USD. In May alone, Thailand posted a 4.6 billion USD trade surplus with the US and a 4.1 billion USD trade deficit with China.
The World Bank will provide a 2.1 billion USD financing package for Indonesia, focusing oncreating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and enhancing access to clean energy across the country.
Member states also reviewed progress on six priority areas for 2025, including the development of an underground cable framework, the follow-up agreement to the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA), the launch of the ASEAN Energy Efficiency Database, and the rollout of an investment platform for sustainable building initiatives.
In March, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra met with Formula 1 chief Stefano Domenicali and said Thailand would commission a feasibility study into hosting a Grand Prix on a Bangkok street circuit from 2028.
The proposed giant sea wall aligns with bilateral cooperation and has been designated a national priority, considering that several regions in Indonesia are experiencing land subsidence of 10–15 centimetres per year.
International flights were cancelled including Jetstar and Virgin Australia flights to cities across Australia, and flights of Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore's TigerAir and China's Juneyao Airlines.
The partnership aims to strengthen collaboration in the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources, including gold, copper, and manganese, as well as in the development of steel, aluminum, and renewable energy industries.
The Thai cabinet has approved a seven-year EV bus leasing scheme proposed by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) for the capital, with an estimated cost of 15.35 billion THB (over 470 million USD).
Aircraft are prohibited from flying below 6,000 metres in the vicinity of the volcano, and should also remain alert to the presence of volcanic ash, which can disrupt flights.
Laos declared the transfer of the press management functions of five key media agencies and associated personnel to the Propaganda and Training Board of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee.
Univers said in a statement that the new centre will serve as a hub for innovation, bringing together digital intelligence and climate ambition to accelerate Sarawak's transition toward a low-carbon, tech-enabled economy.
The target is to be completely free from plastic waste within two years. This can only be achieved if all parties implement the initiative with strong discipline.
Indonesia is taking new steps to improve protections for fishery workers, amid concerns over low wages, harsh working conditions, and limited access to social welfare.
The 2025 ASEAN- the Republic of Korea (RoK) Connectivity Forum that opened in Jakarta on June 17 reaffirmed a shared commitment to shaping a connected, resilient future by advancing the ASEAN Connectivity Strategic Plan.
The desk will serve as a service centre providing market intelligence, business licensing guidance, facilitating business cooperation, identifying potential investment projects, and harmonising regulatory policies between the two parties.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim noted that the Asia-Pacific region accounted for half of global energy consumption and 60% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2024. Despite this, regional countries, including eight of ten ASEAN member states, remain committed to climate goals, including net-zero emissions and tripling global renewable capacity by 2030.
Forest fire in Riau province of Indonesia (Photo: AFP) 
