Analysis: Forest fires prove governance failures have gone too far
For nearly four months wildfires have ravaged Indonesia, exposing acute, systemic failures in government response and law enforcement. While the ongoing dry spell has exacerbated the crisis, suspected corporate land clearing by burning points to a deliberate, recurring practice that authorities have repeatedly failed to halt.
Wildfires have raged across Indonesia for nearly four months, highlighting severe shortcomings in government response and law enforcement. While the ongoing dry season has worsened the situation, corporate land clearing through burning appears to be a deliberate, recurring issue that authorities have failed to curb. At a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto on October 12, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) stated that 129,899.6 hectares of peatland had burned in six priority provinces: Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, South Sumatra, Jambi, and Riau.
Despite claims that most fires had been extinguished, active firefighting persisted across an additional 639.2 hectares, and the figures did not include fires burning in Papua for weeks. President Prabowo's downplaying of the crisis, claiming only a small area was still ablaze, conflicted with the actual human toll. By October 13, respiratory infections caused by toxic haze had reached 283,270 across seven provinces.
Air quality measurements demonstrated the severity of the public health emergency, with the air quality index (AQI) in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan, spiking to 982, more than triple the "hazardous" threshold, while Pontianak in West Kalimantan recorded 280, close to the "very unhealthy" limit. Even Jakarta, known for chronic pollution, recorded a lower AQI of 176.
The crisis has not only affected national borders but has become a regional health and diplomatic concern. The public's patience has been exhausted, with social media campaigns like "Our Forests Are Still Burning" gaining millions of shares. However, the outrage targets not only the environmental destruction but also President Prabowo's priorities.
While citizens struggle to breathe, Prabowo has maintained his usual schedule, attending soccer events and making foreign trips. This disconnect between the president's actions and the suffering of his citizens is evident. Protests erupted on October 13, as student demonstrators protested outside the South Sumatra Police headquarters in Palembang, demanding accountability for corporate fire starters.
They had previously rallied on October 5 outside the South Sumatra Governor's office, calling for transparency in wildfire management spending, enforcement against offending agribusinesses, and institutional accountability.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
