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View all search results‘I’m sorry’: Indonesians apologize, urge foreign pressure over haze
Some Indonesians have been turning to social media to voice their frustrations and apologize about the uncontrolled wildfire that causes toxic haze reaching Malaysia, Singapore and other countries, while urging them to protest the Indonesian government over their handling on the issue.
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People ride wooden boats on the Kahayan River on Sunday as haze from forest and peatland fires shrouds Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan. (Reuters/Arief Rahman Septian Prathama)
When atmospheric haze from forest and peatland fires worsened in Kalimantan in mid-October, videos showing skies turning dusty orange spread widely across social media, including one posted by homemaker Firda Ayu Wahyu in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan.
Showing the view outside her house in the city, one of the hardest-hit areas by wildfire-induced haze across Kalimantan, the video she posted drew millions of views on TikTok and Threads before being reposted by national and global news outlets.
“I hope the videos gain attention and reach the regional and central governments, so they can respond quickly and name the forest fires a national disaster,” Firda told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday, complaining further about lagging disaster response she observed in her region.
Central Kalimantan is among the worst hit regions in this year’s wildfire season that is exacerbated by the El Niño-induced drought with 220,330 hectares of land in the province burned as of early September. Palangka Raya has also recorded “very unhealthy” air quality in recent weeks, according to Swiss-based air monitoring platform IQAir.
Firda and other Indonesians have been turning to social media to voice their frustration about the uncontrolled wildfire, with some are also calling on the international community to pressure Jakarta to respond more effectively, as haze reaches as far as neighboring countries of Malaysia and the Philippines.
