Indonesia arrests 10 over forest fires

Indonesian authorities have arrested 10 people for allegedly starting fores fires to make way for their plantations on Sumatra island, police said Wednesday, according to DPA. The move came after thick smog from scrub and peat fires cloaked much of Riau province on Sumatra, Malaysia and Singapore, sparking protests from the neighbouring countries. "We expect there will be more suspects," said Senior Commissioner Sofyan, who head the haze disaster law enforcement task force in Riau. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday sent 2,000 mostly military troops to help extinguish the fires, responding to growing criticism of the government's handling of the situation. Attempts to douse the blazes using cloud seeding to induce rain have only resulted in light rain, officials said. Yudhoyono on Monday apologized to Singapore and Malaysia, where pollution reached hazardous levels as a result of the haze.