Indonesia honors Japan's forest fire team

Indonesia honors Japan's forest fire team

Indonesia has presented awards to members of Japan's Self-Defense Forces in recognition of their efforts to combat forest fires in Kalimantan.

A ceremony took place aboard an SDF vessel docked in West Kalimantan. Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin presented the awards. They honor the contribution of about 360 personnel from the Japan Disaster Relief team. The team wound up their firefighting operation earlier this week.

Defense Minister Sjafrie said that cooperation between the Indonesian National Armed Forces and the JSDF marked "a historic milestone" in the friendship of the two countries.

Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Ueno Atsushi said the JSDF's firefighting activities had helped strengthen defense ties and overall relations between the two countries.

Over the course of the operation, three CH-47 helicopters dropped more than 200 tons of water to fight the fires.

The forest fire situation remains volatile. The Forestry Ministry has reported a recent increase in hotspots, prompting authorities to step up firefighting operations.