Plaintiffs seek national disaster declaration and healthcare support after severe Kalimantan haze.
An Indonesian court has begun hearing a class action accusing the government of failing to adequately address recurring forest and land fires, as severe haze continues affecting communities in West Kalimantan and neighboring countries.
Four Plaintiffs File Class Action
Four plaintiffs, including a local chapter of Indigenous rights organization AMAN, filed the class action in September at the Pontianak District Court in West Kalimantan. The case opened on October 7 and names President Prabowo Subianto and the governor of West Kalimantan among 10 defendants.
Plaintiffs Allege Gross Negligence
According to a court filing cited in the reports, the plaintiffs accuse the government of “gross negligence” for failing to adequately address recurring forest and land fires. Their lawyer, Glorio Sanen, said the lawsuit was intended to address a problem that returns annually, with this year’s fires fueled by an exceptionally intense El Niño episode. The allegation has not been established as a court finding.
Fires Disrupt Schools and Health
West Kalimantan has been heavily affected by fires and smoke, with schools forced to close and hundreds of people seeking medical treatment for respiratory problems. Indonesia has also been battling fires across Sumatra, Papua and Borneo, while smoke has spread beyond the country to Malaysia and Singapore.
Plaintiffs Seek National Disaster Declaration
The plaintiffs are asking the government to declare the fires and haze a national disaster, which they say would allow broader recovery and rehabilitation measures. Their demands include government coverage of healthcare costs for affected residents. A similar lawsuit filed in South Sumatra in 2025 was dismissed.
Defendants Absent From First Hearing
None of the 10 defendants were present at the first hearing, according to an AFP reporter in the courtroom. Sanen expressed disappointment but acknowledged that haze conditions themselves may have affected travel into Pontianak. The reports did not include a substantive response from the defendants to the allegations at this stage of the proceedings.
The Pontianak lawsuit places Indonesia’s recurring forest fires and haze under renewed legal scrutiny, particularly over the government’s responsibility for prevention, recovery and public health protection. For Indonesians, the case could shape debate over how authorities respond to repeated fire emergencies. For Singaporeans, it is also significant because smoke from Indonesian fires has again crossed borders and affected regional air quality.
Sources: Straits Times (2026) , CNA (2026)
Keywords: Indonesia Haze Lawsuit, West Kalimantan Fires, Pontianak Court, Forest Fire Indonesia, AMAN Indonesia, Transboundary Haze
