Jakarta: Indigenous and civil-society groups in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan filed a class-action lawsuit against Prabowo Subianto, President of Indonesia and other authorities over the handling of recurring forest fires in the region.
The case was registered at the Pontianak court in West Kalimantan, with the first hearing scheduled for October 7, according to the court filing. Lawyer Glorio Sanen stated that the legal action followed concerns over the government’s failure to prevent and tackle forest and land fires that return to the province each year.
The plaintiffs include the West Kalimantan chapter of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago, the West Kalimantan branch of Catholic Youth and Perkumpulan Laman Punyung Indonesia. The presidential office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Indonesia is battling its most intense wildfire season in 11 years. Borneo and Sumatra have been among the worst-affected areas as prolonged dry conditions linked to a strong El Niño weather pattern fuel fires. The government warns that the wildfires could continue until November.
Image Via: FB@Prabowo Subianto| Cropped by BH
Prabowo calls for stricter regulations and sanctions against individuals and companies responsible for starting fires. The government also ordered investigations into suspected violations and sought to remove exemptions that allow smallholders to use fire for limited land clearing.
West Kalimantan faces severe smoke and haze from the fires. Respiratory illness cases across 7 affected provinces more than doubled to 113,336 between September 1 and September 9. The haze also affected air quality in neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore.
Indonesia stepped up aerial firefighting operations. More than 50 aircraft are being used for water bombing and cloud seeding. Japan has also provided 3 CH-47 Chinook helicopters to support efforts to contain the fires. Malaysia also offered additional assistance, including helicopters, an aircraft and 52 personnel.
The latest case follows an earlier legal challenge over Indonesia’s forest fires. In 2016, 7 Indonesian residents sued Joko Widodo, former President of Indonesia, cabinet ministers and local governments over the handling of fires in 2015. The residents initially won at district court level, but the Supreme Court overturned the decision in 2022 after granting the government’s request for judicial review.
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