Indonesia’s experiment with populism is wavering

Live updates

1. 1h ago

   Indonesia Faces Protests, Haze Crisis As Prabowo Enters Third Year

   Indonesia is deploying more than 9,000 security officers to manage protests marking the start of President Prabowo's third year in power, coinciding with a severe public health crisis. Burned land across the country doubled in September as catastrophic wildfires and toxic haze blanket the region, sparking intense public anger and a blame game between Jakarta and provincial governments. Citizens are demanding urgent state intervention and fire relief as air quality deteriorates, while the president berates foreign nations for criticizing the government's response to the disaster.

   Why it matters

   The mounting civil unrest underscores deep public frustration with environmental management and economic pressures as the administration's political standing shifts. While the ruling coalition remains broad, sliding approval ratings and widespread environmental devastation present a major test for the populist leadership. The ongoing crisis highlights systemic vulnerabilities in handling large-scale ecological emergencies across Indonesian Borneo and surrounding provinces.

   What is confirmed

   • Indonesia is deploying more than 9,000 security officers at protests marking Prabowo's two years in power.
   • Indonesia's burned land doubled in September as fires rage.
   • A blame game erupted between Jakarta and provinces as Indonesia fires rage.
   • Indonesian anger builds over wildfires and toxic haze, leading citizens to seek fire relief from the state.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Prabowo Subianto is facing crashing approval ratings as his experiment with populism wavers.

   What to watch next

   • Whether rainfall increases sufficiently to extinguish remaining fire hotspots across the region
   • The physical turnout and containment of the 9,000-officer security deployment during anti-government protests
   Sources used for this update (16)

   1. BBC — Borneo burning: Life on the frontline of South East Asia's toxic haze
   2. Reuters — Indonesia's burned land doubles in September as fires rage, data shows
   3. The Straits Times — Blame game erupts between Jakarta and provinces as Indonesia fires rage
   4. Reuters — Indonesia to deploy more than 9,000 security officers at protests marking Prabowo's two years in power
   5. The Economist — Indonesia’s experiment with populism is wavering
   6. CNA — Indonesian anger builds over wildfires, toxic haze
   7. Yahoo — 'Public health crisis': Indonesians seek fire relief from state
   8. IQAir — Indonesia Air Quality Alert
   9. CNA — Prabowo berates countries that 'insult' Indonesia over wildfires
   10. ReliefWeb — Indonesia: Forest and Land Fires (Karhutla) 2026 Situation Overview & Response Summary
   11. The New York Times — Protesters in Indonesia Demand Action to Stop Fires in Rainforests
   12. Yahoo News Singapore — President berates countries that 'insult' Indonesia over wildfires
   confidence 90%