A group of indigenous and civil-society organizations filed a class-action lawsuit in the Pontianak District Court on September 16, 2026, targeting the President of the Republic of Indonesia and other authorities over recurring forest and land fires in West Kalimantan, according to court filings and legal representatives. The initial court hearing for case number 292/Pdt.G/2026/PN is scheduled for October 7, 2026.
Legal Claims and Named Defendants
The lawsuit claims the government exhibited negligence and failure in preventing and tackling severe, recurring forest and land fires known locally as karhutla. According to Glorio Sanen, coordinator of the Nafas Kalbar Legal Team representing 14 advocates, the plaintiffs argue that the fires violate citizens’ rights to a healthy life by triggering a surge in acute respiratory infections and disrupting daily activities such as schooling and flights.
The defendants named in the class-action filing include:
- The President of the Republic of Indonesia
- The Vice President
- The Ministry of Forestry, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Finance
- The National Police and the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB)
- The Governor and Regional Police Chief of West Kalimantan
- Fourteen regents and mayors across West Kalimantan
The plaintiffs represent the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago (AMAN) West Kalimantan, the Catholic Youth of West Kalimantan, the Indonesian Laman Punyung Association, and individual resident Sisilius Rami, alongside communities affected by haze for approximately 55 days.
Emergency Demands and Historical Context
In their provisional demands, the plaintiffs asked the panel of judges to declare the West Kalimantan fires a national disaster and order the immediate disbursement of the State Budget Reserve Fund. Glorio Sanen stated that this emergency funding is necessary to finance weather modification operations, medical treatment for respiratory infection victims, peatland firefighting efforts, and logistical assistance.
This legal challenge mirrors a prior class-action lawsuit filed in 2016 by seven Indonesian residents against then-President Joko Widodo, cabinet ministers, and local governments over 2015 fires. While the plaintiffs initially won at the district court level, the Supreme Court ultimately overturned the decision in 2022 after granting the government’s petition for judicial review.
Government Response and Fire Statistics
Addressing disaster financing, BNPB Head Lieutenant General TNI Suharyanto stated on September 11, 2026, that emergency response funds for forest fires remain fully supported without nominal limitations. Speaking in Palangka Raya following a evaluation meeting for Central Kalimantan, Suharyanto explained that government budget efficiency policies apply strictly to routine operational expenses like business trips rather than disaster management operations.
Official BNPB records show that approximately 48,535 hectares burned across West Kalimantan between January 1 and September 14, 2026, with 14,759 joint personnel deployed to combat the blazes amid severe fire seasons similar to 2015 and 2019.
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