Beyond arrests: Who is really responsible for the haze?

Smoke from forest fires does not respect national borders, and neither should the pursuit of those responsible. On September 7, the National Police in Indonesia identified 138 suspects linked to 200 forest and land fire incidents, while the Forestry Ministry launched legal action against 21 companies over fires affecting over 11,400 hectares of land in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

However, the impact of these actions on the millions of people suffering from toxic air is stark. Over 1.4 million schoolchildren have been forced into remote learning, and cross-border haze has induced a state of emergency in Sarawak, Malaysia. Indonesia’s wildfire emissions have reached the highest levels ever recorded. This crisis transcends forest fires and bilateral relations; it is a fundamental test of governance and the state’s responsibility to safeguard its citizens from preventable harm.

Haze has long been viewed as an inevitable consequence of dry weather, peatland fires, and El Niño, but it is a result of human choices and political decisions. People face serious consequences, including missed school, unsafe working conditions, illness, and loss of livelihoods and natural resources. Women, pregnant women, children, the elderly, and those with disabilities are particularly vulnerable.

To tackle this issue, it is essential to consider not just who suffers and is most at risk, but also who created or benefited from the risk, who failed to prevent it, and what remedies are available for the victims. Clean air is a fundamental human right, and addressing it must involve these crucial questions at the heart of the haze debate.