Key facts
- Indonesian groups are suing the government for negligence in preventing and addressing annual forest fires.
- The first court hearing for the class-action suit was adjourned to October 21 due to the government's absence.
- The fires and resulting haze have caused a spike in respiratory illnesses.
- The haze has also shrouded neighboring Malaysia and Singapore in hazardous smog.
- A plaintiff expressed disappointment, stating the government's absence signals that violating the law is acceptable.
Indigenous and civil-society organizations in Indonesia's West Kalimantan have criticized the national government for its absence from the initial court proceedings of a class-action lawsuit. The suit aims to hold the government accountable for the severe haze caused by recurring forest and land fires.
Judges adjourned the hearing in Pontianak, the provincial capital on Borneo, until October 21 because government representatives did not appear. The plaintiffs claim the government has been negligent in its duty to prevent and adequately manage the annual fires that contribute to the hazardous smog.
Indonesia is currently experiencing its most intense wildfires in 11 years, primarily affecting Sumatra and Borneo islands. The government has warned that these fires, aggravated by the El Niño weather pattern, could persist until November. Yakobus Kumis, a plaintiff representing a Dayak ethnic group, voiced his disappointment, stating that the government's no-show implies a disregard for the law. He also noted that the government allegedly ignored warning signs before the fires began and called for the situation to be declared a national disaster.
The plaintiffs include the West Kalimantan chapters of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago and Catholic Youth, Perkumpulan Laman Punyung Indonesia, and an individual named Sisilius Rami. The fires and haze have led to a surge in respiratory illnesses and have blanketed neighboring Malaysia and Singapore in hazardous smog.