Why are Indonesians protesting for the forest fires to be declared a national disaster?

BBC global affairs correspondent Anbarasan Ethirajan said this season's fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra are the worst in ten years, worsened by El Nino, and that more than 300,000 people have respiratory illnesses. A national disaster declaration would force the government to divert funds to firefighting and pay compensation, and would expose its failure to control the fires, which is why it hesitates. Police used tear gas and water cannon on protesters in Jakarta.

• The government says it has sent thousands of firefighters and is providing compensation.
• Singapore has warned companies linked to forest clearance of legal action and formed a joint haze task force with Indonesia.
• Malaysia has also complained as the haze drifts across its borders.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Global News Podcast (2026-10-29). Read the whole episode summary →

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