Companies punished over deadly forest fires

Indonesia is punishing more than 20 companies in an unprecedented move for starting deadly forest fires that killed 19 people, a government official said on Tuesday.

Three companies have been shut down permanently after having their licenses revoked over their role in the blazes that choked vast expanses of Southeast Asia with acrid haze and cost Indonesia $16 billion.

It is the first time the government has revoked company licenses over forest fires, an annual occurrence caused by slash-and-burn land clearance.