West Kalimantan Wildfire Haze Lawsuit Opens Against Indonesian President and Nine Other Officials
Class action lawsuit filed against Indonesia’s President Prabowo and 10 officials over toxic wildfire haze in Borneo. First hearing held in Pontianak District Court.
A class action lawsuit accusing Indonesia’s government of “gross negligence” over toxic wildfire haze in Borneo held its first hearing on Wednesday at the Pontianak District Court in West Kalimantan province, with President Prabowo Subianto and the governor of West Kalimantan among 10 named defendants. The case, filed last month by four plaintiffs including a local chapter of indigenous NGO AMAN, marks a significant attempt to hold senior officials legally accountable for a recurring environmental and public health crisis.
The haze, driven by wildfires that have burned across Borneo, Sumatra and Papua, has shuttered schools, disrupted hundreds of flights and driven hundreds of residents to seek medical treatment for respiratory ailments. The smoke has spread beyond Indonesia’s borders, blanketing parts of Malaysia and Singapore.
“A Step to Address the Problem”
None of the 10 defendants attended Wednesday’s opening hearing, according to an AFP reporter present in the courtroom. The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Glorio Sanen, told reporters after the session that he was disappointed but offered a measured explanation for the absences. “We feel sad and regretful about their absence… But on the other hand, we also understand that perhaps this haze condition caused them to be unable to land in Pontianak,” Glorio said.
Glorio described the proceedings as “a step to address the problem” of annual wildfires, which plaintiffs blame largely on forest destruction and which, according to the plaintiffs’ lawyer, have been made worse this year by an exceptionally intense episode of the drought-causing El Niño weather phenomenon.
National Disaster Declaration Sought
According to a court filing seen by AFP, the plaintiffs allege the government failed to adequately respond to what they characterise as a recurring crisis. They are seeking a declaration of a national disaster that would trigger comprehensive recovery and rehabilitation measures, including the coverage of healthcare costs for residents affected by the smoke.
The lawsuit follows a similar legal effort in South Sumatra, where a comparable case filed last year was dismissed by the court.
Indonesia has spent weeks battling to contain fires that have torn through large areas of Sumatra, Papua and Borneo, sending choking haze across the region. The crisis has drawn international attention, with smoke reaching neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore and disrupting air travel across the archipelago.
