Jakarta, Oct. 30 -- Indonesian House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani has urged law enforcement officials to ensure transparent proceedings after police named 20 companies as suspects in forest and land fires nationwide.

She said the fires had severely disrupted public life, affecting respiratory health, regional economies, schools and community livelihoods.

"Combating forest and land fires requires more than extinguishing flames and rehabilitating affected land; the state must take a firm stance against those responsible for these disasters," Maharani said in a statement on Friday.

Investigators and prosecutors must ensure justice for affected communities as the cases move through the legal system, she said.

She also urged ce...