Students protest Central Kalimantan haze
The students, many wearing surgical masks, gathered under an eerily orange sky with severely reduced visibility and waved banners urging authorities to declare a national emergency to free up more aid.
Students in Central Kalimantan protested against the haze caused by wildfires, gathering in Palangkaraya under an orange sky with poor visibility. They demanded the government declare a national emergency to provide more aid. Banners urged authorities to take decisive action, with one placard declaring that officials were "morons" while enjoying perks.
Protesters sang the national anthem and briefly clashed with police before dispersing peacefully. The government spokesperson argued that mitigation efforts were underway, but the severity of the crisis was acknowledged. Wildfires have burned over 1.9 million hectares in the last nine months, with toxic smoke affecting hundreds of thousands, including vulnerable populations.
Indonesia's cumulative burned area reached 1.92 million hectares by the end of September, surpassing the same period in 2019. Diplomatic tensions arose as neighboring countries voiced concerns over the haze, leading to sporadic protests at home.
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.
