Indonesians sue president over haze – can it clear the air?
For months, the air over West Kalimantan has been thick enough to taste. Now, some of the province’s residents are taking the government to court over it. Indonesia’s worst wildfire season in 11 years has been sending plumes of toxic haze drifting across borders to Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines since at least August. But nowhere has been worse hit than West Kalimantan, where more than…
Indonesians are taking legal action against the government over the severe haze impacting West Kalimantan. Months of thick air have led to over 48,000 hectares of land and forest being burned, with more than 175,000 acute respiratory infections recorded nationwide. On September 17, a group called Nafas Kalimantan Barat filed a class-action lawsuit against President Prabowo Subianto, Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka and 25 other officials, accusing them of failing to manage the forest and land fires effectively.
The lawsuit seeks to declare the wildfires a national disaster, enforce laws, and prevent future fires. The first hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, with the government likely countering the allegations with paperwork showing compliance with laws.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
