Japan has deployed a military transport ship, 300 personnel, and three helicopters to Indonesia to help battle forest fires on Borneo that have sent toxic haze across borders and raised health concerns in neighbouring countries.
The landing ship JS Kunisaki of Japan Self-Defence Forces (SDF) arrived in Kalimantan on Thursday carrying three CH-47 Chinook helicopters. The aircraft will reportedly support Indonesian authorities in fighting fires in areas that are difficult for ground teams to reach.
The mission is the first known overseas firefighting operation by Japan’s SDF.
“To this end, we will learn from the Indonesian military’s operational experience and work in coordination and cooperation with them, striving to ensure that the Indonesian people can lead stable lives as soon as possible,” Col Syunji Nakahara, the commander of the disaster relief activities, said at a port in Mempawah district.
Japan and Indonesia have stepped up defence cooperation in recent years, including talks over a possible deal for Japan to provide Indonesia with used naval destroyers.
Indonesia has faced recurring forest and land fires for decades. This year, an increasingly strong El Niño weather pattern, combined with an extended dry season, has contributed to worsening fires.
Smoke from the fires has spread across Indonesia’s borders, creating dangerous levels of air pollution and health concerns in neighbouring countries.
The haze has reached the Philippines, more than 800 kilometres (500 miles) away, while parts of Malaysia have recorded pollution levels above emergency thresholds. Authorities last week declared an emergency in a town in Sarawak, on the Malaysian side of Borneo.
The air pollution has also affected several areas on the island of Sumatra, forcing schools to suspend learning activities at school. The toxic haze has affected more than 1.4 million students across the country.
Japan’s SDF said in a statement on Thursday that the three CH-47 Chinook helicopters from Japan will start conducting firefighting operations on Borneo as soon as preparations are complete.
“Through these operations, we will dedicate ourselves to supporting the affected people of Indonesia and preventing further damage,” a written statement from JSDF said on Thursday.
Indonesian authorities have escalated firefighting efforts in several provinces as they seek to contain the blazes. The efforts have involved aircraft provided by countries in Southeast Asia and beyond, including Japan, the United States, Russia, Australia, Canada and Ukraine.
Indonesia’s forestry ministry recorded more than 202,000 hectares (nearly 500,000 acres) of burned land between January and July, almost three times Singapore’s size.
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