Jakarta
Indigenous and civil-society organisations in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan have filed a class-action lawsuit against President Prabowo Subianto and other authorities over their handling of recurring forest and land fires, according to the plaintiffs’ lawyer.
The lawsuit was registered at the Pontianak court in West Kalimantan, with the first hearing scheduled for October 7, court documents showed. The plaintiffs accuse authorities of failing to adequately prevent and tackle forest and land fires that return to the region each year.
Glorio Sanen, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said the legal action was prompted by concerns among West Kalimantan residents about what they regard as government negligence in addressing the recurring fires. The presidential office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The plaintiffs include the West Kalimantan chapter of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago, the West Kalimantan branch of Catholic Youth, Perkumpulan Laman Punyung Indonesia and an individual, Sisilius Rami.
The lawsuit comes as Indonesia faces one of its most severe wildfire seasons in more than a decade. Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni has warned that fires could continue until early November, with the rainy season expected to arrive later than previously forecast.
The fires have been particularly severe in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, with prolonged drought and strong El Niño conditions worsening fire risks. Authorities have intensified firefighting operations, including aerial water bombing and cloud seeding, while neighbouring Malaysia has also offered assistance.
The case also echoes earlier legal action. In 2016, seven Indonesian residents sued then-President Joko Widodo, cabinet ministers and local governments over their handling of devastating forest fires in 2015. Although the residents initially won at the district court, Indonesia’s Supreme Court overturned the decision in 2022 after granting the government’s judicial review petition, according to media reports.
