Indonesian anger builds over wildfires, toxic haze

Indonesians are growing increasingly angry over the wildfires and toxic haze that have plagued the country for weeks, causing thousands to fall ill. Protests were staged in several cities on Tuesday to demand stronger government action against the crisis. Many pointed to the perceived ineptitude and corruption in the administration of President Prabowo Subianto, who took office two years ago.

Demonstrators railed against the government's failure to control the fires that have ravaged significant portions of Borneo and Sumatra islands since July. In Jakarta, demonstrators held banners reading "If we burn, you burn with us!" and "I have the right to breathe. Extinguish the fires immediately." Residents in Palangkaraya, on Borneo, expressed despair over the severity of the haze, which has disrupted their livelihoods and health.

Melsi, a 40-year-old street vendor, lamented the rising prices and lack of income due to the poor air quality. The Indonesian blazes have burned more than 1.9 million hectares of land in the first nine months of 2026, with air pollution levels reaching as far as Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Berton Panjaitan reported that over 60,000 firefighters, including volunteers, were deployed nationwide, along with 49 aircraft for water bombing and cloud seeding.

However, many aircraft have been grounded intermittently due to the haze. Police detained six activists who had draped Greenpeace protest banners on Jakarta's Bundaran HI roundabout before the student marches.