As forest fires rage out of control in Indonesia, timber tax money meant for forest protection not been used to fight them. The International Monetary Fund has revealed that much of the money is earmarked for a national car project. It has also been spent on soft loans to plantation companies. The so called Reforestation Fund is administered by President Suharto's personal decree, and has been described as a convenient fund for purposes other than providing forest cover.
Satellite images show numerous hot-spots in East Kalimantan.
Especially badly hit is the Kutai National Park, home to around 2,000 orang utan, a seriously endangered species reduced to just 30,000 individuals in total. The main cause of the fires is large plantation companies, many with close connections to the Government, who illegally use fire to clear their land. The fires spread particularly easily through areas that have been heavily logged. If they don't take urgent action now, in the current dry conditions, the disaster will get worse and worse. The international market, including the UK, can help by demanding their Indonesian suppliers prove they don't start fires, so that the companies know they will lose business if they do.