Antara.co.id - Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Vice President Jusuf Kalla said he had ordered police to take firm actions against those reponsible for forest fires that created haze disasters in several parts of the country.

"I have ordered the Riau Police chief to take stern actions," the Vice President told reporters here on Friday when responding to forest fires which have been taking place in the country since earlier this week.

Kalla said he had just received reports that about 20 forest fire suspects in the province had been arrested.

He said some of them deliberately burned land but some were ordered to do so by other people, and some others said they did not intentionally burn their land.

"Those arrested included Indonesian businessmen and those from a Malaysian plantation company," the Vice President said.

The Malaysian government had previously asked the Indonesian government to overcome the forest fires soon in Indonesia. The forest fires had created haze in Kuala Lumpur.

"With regard to the haze disturbance, it is not Kuala Lumpur alone which complained. It was the people of Riau and Pontianak (West Kalimantan) who complained in the first place. Compared to the disturbance in Kuala Lumpur, the one in Pontianak has caused students to be unable to go to school," the Vice President said.

He said the Indonesian government was trying its best to keep the forest fires under control. The government was making the efforts not because of pressure from overseas but because of the interest of people at home.

"We are trying our best to put out the fires not because we are facing pressure from overseas but because we have our own interest at home. Our environment is damaged, our flight schedules are disturbed, people cannot go to work and students can not go to classes," the Vice President added.