As Fresh Air Becomes a Luxury, Many Indonesians Turn on Their Leader

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1. 17m ago

   Indonesia's worst fires in 11 years burn 2.9M hectares, killing 3,500 via pollution

   Indonesia is enduring its worst fire season in over a decade, with nearly 2.9 million hectares burned and an estimated 3,500 deaths attributed to air pollution. Choking haze has forced families to shelter indoors, disrupted universities across Southeast Asia, and sparked public anger toward President Joko Widodo's administration. The crisis, fueled by El Niño conditions, has become a test of government accountability and regional diplomacy as neighboring countries suffer transboundary smoke. Greenpeace reports growing civil society pressure with the slogan "If we burn, you burn with us."

   Why it matters

   Annual land-clearing fires on Sumatra and Kalimantan peatlands have escalated this year due to prolonged dry weather linked to El Niño. The smoke affects Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, straining ASEAN cooperation on transboundary haze. Domestic frustration is mounting over perceived government failure to enforce laws against corporate and smallholder burning, threatening public trust in Widodo's environmental commitments.

   What is confirmed

   • Indonesia's fires have burned through nearly 2.9 million hectares according to multiple monitors.
   • An estimated 3,500 people have died from air pollution caused by the fires.
   • The current fire season is the worst in 11 years.
   • El Niño conditions have fueled the fire outbreak.
   • Toxic haze has disrupted university operations across Southeast Asia.
   • Families in Indonesian cities are taking refuge indoors to escape choking haze.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Public anger may significantly damage President Joko Widodo's political standing.
   • Civil society pressure using the slogan "If we burn, you burn with us" is growing rapidly.

   What to watch next

   • Government enforcement actions against plantation companies linked to fire hotspots
   • ASEAN diplomatic responses and potential activation of transboundary haze agreement
   • Air quality index levels in major cities like Palembang, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore
   Sources used for this update (12)

   1. www.nytimes.com — The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos
   2. The Guardian — ‘I can’t bear it’: young family takes refuge in bedroom as choking haze engulfs Indonesian city
   3. The New York Times — As Fresh Air Becomes a Luxury, Many Indonesians Turn on Their Leader
   4. Greenpeace — “If we burn, you burn with us”: People power grows amid Indonesia’s fire and haze crisis
   5. Times Higher Education — Toxic haze disrupts university life in South-east Asia
   6. Seoul Economic Daily — Indonesia's Worst Wildfires in 11 Years Kill 3,500 Through Air Pollution
   7. Yahoo — Indonesia fires burned through nearly 2.9 million hectares: monitor
   8. Channels Television — El Nino Fuels Indonesia Fire Outbreak, Destroys 2.88 Million Hectares – Report
   9. The Jakarta Post — Indonesia forest fires burned through nearly 2.9 million hectares - Society
   10. The Southeast Asia Desk — ☄️ Choked by Sovereignty: How Indonesian Haze Tests Southeast Asian Limits
   11. The Jakarta Post — Haze crisis tests public trust and diplomatic credibility
   12. Institute of Development Studies — Indonesia’s forest fires: A wake-up call for climate governance
   confidence 88%