Every year, millions of people across Southeast Asia are forced to suffer from a severe public health crisis caused by the transboundary haze. This suffocating smoke is the direct result of massive, illegal "slash-and-burn" land clearing taking place across Indonesia, particularly on dried-out peatlands. These commercial fires are intentionally set for cheap agricultural expansion, releasing immense amounts of toxic carbon and dense smoke that blankets neighboring countries.
The air pollution compromises respiratory health, disrupts daily lives, and violates our right to clean air. While Indonesia has environmental frameworks in place, the lack of consistent enforcement allows polluting companies and illegal operators to continue burning with impunity.
We are calling directly on the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the Indonesian Government to take immediate, uncompromising action:
1. Strict Law Enforcement: Fast-track the investigation, prosecution, and penalization of agro-industrial corporations and land developers responsible for setting fires on Indonesian peatlands and forests.
2. Permanent Peatland Protection: Enforce a strict, permanent ban on the draining and clearing of peatland ecosystems, ensuring mandatory restoration of degraded, fire-prone areas.
3. Transparent Monitoring: Provide full transparency by publishing updated concessions maps and hotspot data so the public can track and hold polluting entities accountable.
We deserve to breathe clean air. Sign this petition to demand that the Indonesian government takes definitive responsibility, enforces its environmental laws, and puts a permanent stop to the seasonal burning.