Indonesians have gathered in several cities to protest the prolonged wildfires on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, as toxic haze affects health and livelihoods. Over 11 million rai of land have been burned in the first nine months of the year.
Indonesians have protested in multiple cities to express dissatisfaction over the wildfire situation and toxic haze that have continuously impacted public health for weeks, amid a haze crisis spreading across Southeast Asia.
The protests, organized by student groups on the second anniversary of President Prabowo Subianto's administration, accused the government of inefficiency and corruption. Demonstrations took place not only in Jakarta but also in Bandung and Yogyakarta on Java island, Pekanbaru on Sumatra, and Makassar in southern Sulawesi.
Large numbers of protesters criticized the government’s failure to control wildfires that have consumed vast areas of Borneo and Sumatra since July. Banners in Jakarta read, “If we have to burn, you must burn too,” while another called out, “I have the right to breathe. Put out the fire now.”
Sifra, a 29-year-old housewife, revealed that her husband and two children have been coughing for a month. Despite staying indoors, smoke still seeps in. She said since the haze began, her body aches as if injured and she falls ill with colds or coughs more easily, urging the government to intensify wildfire control efforts.
Earlier on Monday, 19 Oct 2026 GMT+7, dozens of people in Palangka Raya gathered to demand the government declare a state of emergency to address the wildfire and haze crisis.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, police detained six activists who hung Greenpeace banners on a monument at the Bundaran HI roundabout in central Jakarta before a student protest began. One banner read, “Haze and Prabowo’s government equal a national disaster.”
Burton Panjaitan, spokesperson for Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said authorities have mobilized over 60,000 firefighters and volunteers nationwide and deployed 49 aircraft for water drops and cloud seeding to induce rain. However, some aircraft had to pause operations intermittently due to thick haze.
Data from the Nusantara Atlas wildfire tracking system shows that in the first nine months of 2026, wildfires in Indonesia have burned over 1.9 million hectares (about 11.9 million rai), causing air pollution levels to spike. The haze has also impacted distant areas including Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Although Indonesia regularly faces wildfires during the dry season, this year’s situation is especially severe, partly due to the El Niño phenomenon causing more intense drought conditions, which have worsened fire spread and complicated control efforts.
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