Borneo residents take Indonesian govt to court, claim negligence in handling of forest fires causing haze

A group of residents from the Indonesian island of Borneo are taking the Indonesian government to court, accusing it of negligence in the handling of the forest fires that have resulted in thick haze across much of Southeast Asia.

Negligence accusations

According to the Associated Press, the residents are from West Kalimantan, and they call themselves "Nafas Kalbar", which translates to "Breath of West Kalimantan".

They filed their case last month in Pontianak, the capital city of West Kalimantan.

They accuse the government of negligence in handling the forest fires and of allegedly failing to supervise firefighting operations, their lawyer said.

In total, 27 individuals and agencies, including Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto, are being accused.

The first hearing took place on Oct. 8.

None of the accused attended.

According to The Guardian, the group's lawyer said, "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."

The hearing was adjourned until Oct. 21.

A representative of the plaintiffs commented that the government had ignored warning signs of the fire.

Fires have been raging for more than three months

The forest fires that have blanketed the region in haze have been raging for more than three months, AP wrote.

They have led to school closures for about two months now in West Kalimantan, the lawyer said.

The haze has also disrupted transportation there.

The head of the West Kalimantan Indigenous Peoples Alliance, who goes by Tono, said that the lawsuit is not intended to fault the government, but to urge the state to fulfil its responsibility to protect the people and environment.

The fires are worse this year due, in part, to drier conditions brought on by El Niño.

Water shortages have also made firefighting more challenging, according to AP.

Haze blankets Singapore, Malaysia

As a result of the haze, schools in Johor, Malaysia, have also been ordered to close.

Singapore has similarly announced plans to close schools should the Pollution Standards Index cross into the "Unhealthy" range.

The haze has also triggered protest by environmental activists in Malaysia.

Leaders from both Singapore and Malaysia have expressed a readiness to provide assistance to Indonesia to tackle the ongoing haze issue.