WALHI Encourages People To File Class Action Suit Over Haze Disaster

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has encouraged haze-affected residents to file a class action suit against the government.

The class action is needed as the government tends to ignore the rights of the people affected by the haze caused by the land and forest fires, Walhi Director for West Kalimantan Anton Widjaya said at the Walhi Office in Jakarta on Thursday.

"Walhi is ready to act as a facilitator for the people filing a suit against the government. In West Kalimantan, we have opened seven command posts to accommodate the people's aspirations," he said.

In West Kalimantan, the haze induced by land and forest fires have disrupted the local economy, learning activities, and human health.

Furthermore, the general pollution standard index once hit a level of 1,300, or four times as high as the dangerous level of 300 to 500. On average, the index reached 600 to 800.

By early October, the Walhi office in West Kalimantan will have gathered 500 identity cards from residents, who are seeking to file a class action suit against the government.  "We want 1,000 residents to join the move," he said.

Meanwhile, the Walhi Office in Jambi province is also ready to coordinate with local residents to file a class action suit against the government.

"We demand that the state take legal responsibility over forest fires in Jambi," Walhi Manager for Jambi, Rudiansyah said on Thursday.

Besides filing a class action suit, the Walhi Office in Riau is also planning to refer the issue of the haze disaster, which has caused tens of thousands of people to suffer upper tract respiratory infections, to the United Nations.

Forest fires are a result of corporate crime to which the state has turned a blind eye, the Walhi Director for Riau Province, Riko Kurniawan said. (WDY)