Als Reaktion auf den Einsatz übermäßiger Gewalt durch Sicherheitskräfte gegen Demonstrant*innen, die an verschiedenen Orten gegen die Waldbrände protestierten, erklärte Usman Hamid, Geschäftsführer von Amnesty International Indonesien:
„Wir verurteilen die Gewalt, die sowohl von staatlichen als auch von nichtstaatlichen Akteuren während der Proteste gegen Waldbrände in mehreren Regionen Indonesiens ausgeübt wurde. Der Einsatz nichtstaatlicher Akteure zur Bewältigung von Protesten ist äußerst gefährlich. Diese Demonstrationen sind ein Ausdruck der Solidarität mit Millionen von Bürgern, die von dem durch Brände in Indonesien verursachten Rauch betroffen sind.“
Stop silencing forest fire protests, declare a national emergency
Amnesty International Indonesia Press Release – October 23, 2026
In response to the use of excessive force and violence by security personnel against protesters demonstrating over forest and land fires (karhutla) in various locations, Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid said:
„We condemn the violence perpetrated by both state and non-state actors during protests over karhutla in several regions across Indonesia. The deployment of non-state actors to respond to protests is highly dangerous. These demonstrations are an expression of solidarity with millions of citizens affected by the smoke resulting from karhutla in Indonesia.
Instead of listening to their concerns, the state has once again revealed its repressive nature. The wave of demonstrations over the past week across various regions from Banda Aceh to Jambi, Jakarta, Makassar, Pontianak, Samarinda and Jayapura, represent clear evidence of a human rights crisis stemming from the karhutla.
The protesters are simply demanding a number of measures, namely the declaration of a national disaster status, free healthcare, budget transparency and firm action against corporations that destroy the environment. Regrettably, the state has responded to this ecological emergency by relying on its old approach, namely indifference, silencing and repression.
On the karhutla program, the government has failed to fulfill its obligations in at least two areas. First, it has failed to protect the citizens‘ rights to life and physical health. The Ministry of Health has recorded a cumulative total of 333,470 cases of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in areas affected by the fires, 75,172 of which involve children under the age of five. Not just the physical impact, the Ministry of Health has also warned that prolonged exposure to the haze from these fires can lead to mental health issues, including stress and anxiety.
Meanwhile, data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) reveals that the risk of death for residents in Central, West and South Kalimantan is three to four times higher than that of residents on the island of Java. The Ministry of Health has also revealed that as of September 2026, four fatalities had been recorded in the region (three in Central Kalimantan and one in West Kalimantan).
This is in addition to the tragic deaths of a six-year-old child in North Kayong (West Kalimantan) and a one-year-old toddler in Samarinda (East Kalimantan) due to respiratory infections in mid-October at a time when their home regions were blanketed in karhutla.
Second, the state has blatantly suppressed the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in the context of discussions surrounding the karhutla. When citizens took to the streets to voice their concerns, officials chose to remain silent, while security forces responded with the use of excessive force. In Jakarta, authorities forcibly removed a Greenpeace Indonesia banner from the Welcome Monument at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle. There have also been reports of violence by security forces against protesters, including the use of batons in Gorontalo, teargas fired in Jambi and water cannons in Pontianak actions. This clearly violates the principle of proportionality.
State repression against environmental criticism is not limited to the streets; but it has also extended into the digital and legal spheres. This is evident in the alleged restriction of access or (shadow banning) of content critical of the karhutla, as well as the attempted criminalisation by the Jakarta Metropolitan Regional Police (Polda Metro Jaya) of Dandhy Laksono, director of the documentary „Pesta Babi“ (Pig Feast), which critiques massive deforestation driven by the plantation industry. The summons issued by the Jakarta Metro Police for Laksono to undergo questioning is a clear attempt to silence civic space.
This series of incidence of physical violence, digital silencing and criminalisation proves that the government remains trapped in an authoritarian approach to curbing dissent.
The state must immediately stop all forms of violence by security forces, open space for dialogue and shift its focus toward addressing the root causes of the karhutla. We must remind the state that its fundamental purpose is to protect the lives and health of its people and to uphold the right to a clean environment not to wage war against those demanding their right to breathe.
End the repression of citizens demonstrating over the karhutla and immediately declare a national disaster status to accelerate the response to the fires in Kalimantan, Sumatra, Papua and other regions across Indonesia.“
Background
According to media reports, unrest and violence by security forces against protesters who were demonstrating over the forest and land fires have occurred in various locations over the past week. A wave of protests has taken place in cities including Banda Aceh, Jambi, Jakarta, Makassar, Pontianak, Samarinda and Jayapura.
Student and civil society demonstrations have collectively demanded that the central government declare a national disaster status, provide free healthcare for those affected, transparency in disaster-response budgeting, hold central and local government officials accountable for their sluggish response to the fires, as well as pursue legal action against the corporations and bureaucrats responsible for the crisis.
In several locations however, these protests did not receive a serious response from local officials who failed to meet with or speak to protesters. Instead, security forces reportedly employed excessive force and violence, leading to chaotic confrontations. During a protest in Gorontalo on October 22, police officers allegedly struck protesters with batons, while in Jambi on the same day, police dispersed the crowd using teargas. Similarly, during a protest in Pontianak on October 21, police reportedly confronted demonstrators with teargas and water cannons.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was „Hentikan pembungkaman protes Karhutla, tetapkan status bencana nasional“.]