Indonesians sue their government over wildfire haze, citing 'gross negligence'
Indigenous and civic groups in Indonesian Borneo are suing President Prabowo Subianto and other officials over wildfires and toxic haze. No defendants showed up for Wednesday's first hearing, so judges put it off to Oct. 21. The smoke has closed schools and drifted to Malaysia and Singapore.
A court case over Indonesia's wildfires opened Wednesday, and the government did not show up.
Four plaintiffs in West Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo, accuse the government of "gross negligence," The Jakarta Post reported. They say officials have failed to deal with fires and toxic smoke that come back year after year. President Prabowo Subianto and the governor of West Kalimantan are among 10 defendants.
None of the defendants came to the first hearing at the district court in Pontianak, the provincial capital, according to an AFP reporter. Judges put the case off until Oct. 21, The Guardian reported.
"We feel sad and regretful about their absence," said the plaintiffs' lawyer, Glorio Sanen. "But on the other hand, we also understand that perhaps this haze condition caused them to be unable to land in Pontianak." Hundreds of flights have been disrupted by the smoke.
The plaintiffs include the West Kalimantan chapter of AMAN, an Indigenous rights group, and a local Catholic Youth branch. They want the government to declare a national disaster. That would allow emergency funding, help with residents' health care costs, stronger firefighting and land repair, according to The Online Citizen, which reviewed the case. Yakobus Kumis, a plaintiff from a Dayak Indigenous group, said the government ignored warning signs before the fires.
The fires have burned through large areas of Sumatra, Papua and Borneo for weeks. They have closed schools and sent many people to doctors with breathing problems. The smoke has reached Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and even the Philippines. Schools in Malaysia's Johor state were set to close Thursday and Friday because of bad air, The Guardian said.
Many fires are set on purpose as a cheap way to clear land for oil palm. Indonesia is the world's largest producer of palm oil. The government has vowed a crackdown and sent the military to fight the fires.
This year is worse because of an unusually strong El Niño, which has made conditions drier than normal. A similar lawsuit in South Sumatra last year was dismissed.
What we know: The case is on hold until Oct. 21, and the haze is still spreading.
What we don't: Whether the government will answer the suit in court.
Where outlets agree The Guardian and The Jakarta Post both report that none of the 10 defendants, including President Prabowo, attended the first hearing in Pontianak.
Where they differ Plaintiffs say the absence shows contempt for the law, while their own lawyer said the haze may simply have kept officials from flying in.