--- description: Fifty-six companies in Indonesia implicated in the thick haze that has blanketed much of Southeast Asia in late 2015 will be punished title: Companies Implicated in Indonesian Haze to Face Consequences image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt47ef5c5f355eefa9/698876745f570fa93fb1eeeb/494621962.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [indonesia](/tag/indonesia/) ## indonesia Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Companies Found Guilty of Causing the Indonesian Haze to Face Consequences ## Video: TIME Raw: Scenes From the Fires in Indonesia [Watch (HLS stream): TIME Raw: Scenes From the Fires in Indonesia](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/BIOOYId5.m3u8) (1:08)  _Published 2015-10-28. Scenes From the Fires in Indonesia_ by [Joanna Plucinska](/author/joanna-plucinska/) ## Joanna Plucinska Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 22, 2015 7:30 AM CUT  Volunteers extinguishing a peatland fire on Oct. 27, 2015, in the outskirts of Palangkaraya, in Indonesia's Central Kalimantan province, where respiratory illnesses have soared as the smog has worsened Volunteers extinguishing a peatland fire on Oct. 27, 2015, in the outskirts of Palangkaraya, in Indonesia's Central Kalimantan province, where respiratory illnesses have soared as the smog has worsenedBay Ismoyo—AFP/Getty Images by [Joanna Plucinska](/author/joanna-plucinska/) ## Joanna Plucinska Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 22, 2015 7:30 AM CUT Fifty-six companies face sanctions for their role in causing the [thick haze](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35153050 "undefined") that has blanketed much of Indonesia and Southeast Asia in late 2015, the BBC reports. Most of the companies involved are pulpwood [plantations](http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/haze-fires-indonesia-blames-16-firms-identifies-them-by-their-initials "undefined") in Indonesia’s Sumatra and Kalimantan. Their illegal slash-and-burn farming methods are largely to blame for the pollution that has plagued the region, writes the _Straits Times_. In an unprecedented move, the Indonesian government will either revoke or freeze company licenses if they are found to be directly involved. Three companies implicated in starting forest fires have already had their [licenses revoked](http://news.yahoo.com/indonesia-punishes-firms-over-deadly-forest-fires-062241173.html "undefined"), causing them to permanently shut down, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). “We have sanctioned 23 companies in total, ranging from administrative sanctions to license revocation, while 33 others are still in the process, they could have their licenses revoked too if they are found guilty,” Environment Ministry official Kemal Amas [told ](http://news.yahoo.com/indonesia-punishes-firms-over-deadly-forest-fires-062241173.html "undefined")AFP. While the thick haze caused by forest fires is not uncommon in Southeast Asia, it was [particularly bad](http://time.com/4060786/haze-singapore-indonesia-malaysia-pollution/ "undefined") in 2015. \[[_BBC_](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35153050 "undefined"), [_AFP_](http://news.yahoo.com/indonesia-punishes-firms-over-deadly-forest-fires-062241173.html "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4158278/indonesia-haze-companies-licenses-revoked/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4158278/indonesia-haze-companies-licenses-revoked/"},"headline":"Companies Found Guilty of Causing the Indonesian Haze to Face Consequences","datePublished":"2015-12-22T07:30:55.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T13:34:45.396Z","description":"The Indonesian government will revoke or freeze company licenses","url":"https://time.com/4158278/indonesia-haze-companies-licenses-revoked/","keywords":["indonesia","Pollution","southeast asia"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt47ef5c5f355eefa9/698876745f570fa93fb1eeeb/494621962.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Joanna Plucinska","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/joanna-plucinska/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt47ef5c5f355eefa9/698876745f570fa93fb1eeeb/494621962.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"INDONESIA-ENVIRONMENT-POLLUTION-HAZE","caption":"INDONESIA-ENVIRONMENT-POLLUTION-HAZE","creditText":"Bay Ismoyo—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/indonesia/","name":"indonesia"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4158278/indonesia-haze-companies-licenses-revoked/","name":"Companies Found Guilty of Causing the Indonesian Haze to Face Consequences"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"TIME Raw: Scenes From the Fires in Indonesia","description":"Scenes From the Fires in Indonesia","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/BIOOYId5/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-10-28T18:31:52.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/BIOOYId5.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4158278/indonesia-haze-companies-licenses-revoked/","duration":"PT1M8S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4158278/indonesia-haze-companies-licenses-revoked/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```