19/08/05 PUTRAJAYA, - Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister DatukPeter Chin has refuted claims by Indonesia that satellite pictures of Riaushowed hotspots in areas belonging to Malaysian-linked plantations."Satellite pictures are taken at a very high altitude, so how can theypinpoint for certain that those areas are Malaysian oil palm estates?"Chin said in response to news reports today on Indonesia’s insistence thatit has evidence of open burning by Malaysian-linked plantations inSumatra.

He said a more likely explanation was that fires started by smallholders,who cultivated land on the fringes of these estates, had spread to theboundaries of the plantations.

"But if the Indonesian authorities continue to insist that Malaysiancompanies are involved, then they should prove this with hard evidence. Weare leaving it to them to investigate, and then they should take actionagainst the companies under their laws," Chin said.