Muhammadiyah urges firm action against forest fire perpetrators

JAKARTA — The Central Leadership of Muhammadiyah, one of Indonesia's largest Islamic organisations, has urged residents not to open or clear land by burning, according to Antara. The news agency reported the statement on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, citing a letter issued the previous day.

The letter, numbered 87/PER/1.0/H/2026, was signed by chairman Haedar Nashir and secretary Muhammad Suyuti. It said burning can trigger forest and land fires, known in Indonesia as karhutla, and asked people to report fires and suspected violations to the authorities. It also asked the government and security forces to protect residents who make such reports.

The organisation called on regional heads and officials down to village level in affected and fire-prone areas, particularly in Sumatra and Kalimantan, to align prevention, response and recovery policies with the central government. It said programme spending and the results of fire handling should be open to public scrutiny, including where officials are found to have been negligent.

Businesses were reminded to operate responsibly, prevent fires in their operational areas, and bear legal consequences and restore damage if found responsible. The letter also said post-disaster recovery should be a government priority, covering public health, education, livelihoods and forest and land rehabilitation.

Muhammadiyah said local communities and smallholder farmers need protection and support to manage land sustainably without burning. It instructed its networks, including 'Aisyiyah, the Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Center (MDMC) and affiliated institutions, to strengthen health services, humanitarian aid, environmental education and advocacy for affected residents.

The letter said the fires should not be treated as a yearly disaster that continues to burden people. It said the government, security forces and businesses must show results through concrete action.

The source did not give figures for the number of fires, the area burned or the number of people affected. It did not name any company or official accused of responsibility.

Background

The statement comes as forest and land fires affect parts of Indonesia. Antara reported on the same day that air quality in Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra, was in the hazardous category on 20 October 2026. The agency cited the IQair app and a PM2.5 reading of 991. Antara also reported separately that the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said 454 hectares of burned land in six priority provinces had been extinguished. Antara's report did not give a date for that figure.