FOREST AND LAND FIRES KEEP HAPPENING, HOW LONG ARE WE GOING TO STAY SILENT?
Masalahnya
ENGLISH VERSION I BAHASA INDONESIA
We are raising the issue of forest and land fires (karhutla) in Kalimantan in 2026 because we feel deeply disturbed, seeing our future continuously ignored by greed and indifference. We, the young generation who are striving to build careers, pursue education, and raise families, are forced to grow up in an environment filled with haze. Our most fundamental right to breathe clean air has simply been robbed from us. Seeing the forests and peatlands—which serve as the ecological fortress we depend on—charred and burned for the sake of profit for a small group of capital holders.
In truth, the history of forest and land fires in Kalimantan is not a new issue that suddenly appeared. We all know that peat drainage and massive land clearing since 1997 changed the natural function of peatlands into highly flammable areas. Recurring tragedies from 2015 to 2019 that burned millions of hectares of land taught us a very expensive lesson. However, it is truly heartbreaking to see the exact same pattern continuing in 2026. Forest fires are never purely caused by natural factors, but rather by greed and the selfishness of individuals who give no thought to the long-term impact of their actions.
What makes us even more enraged is the fact that most hotspots appear in plantation areas owned by large corporations. WALHI has recorded that at least hundreds of companies have had their lands burned year after year. Reports from Greenpeace also prove that year after year, many large companies whose lands burn repeatedly walk free without ever facing strict sanctions. Government institutions seem powerless when facing large corporations, and instead ALLOW them to burn land, while law enforcement always focuses heavily on small citizens. This weak stance and negligence are what cause the forest fire disaster to keep recurring.
Yet in terms of legal regulations, our country is by no means short of laws to take firm action against land burners. Through the Forestry Law, the Environmental Protection and Management Law, to the Plantation Law, threats of prison sentences of over a decade and fines of billions of rupiah are very clearly regulated. Even the principles of corporate criminal liability and procedures for ecological recovery compensation already have a valid legal basis. So, what else is the government waiting for? Do law enforcement agencies want to wait until all the lungs of this land of Kalimantan are ruined before taking serious action?
Therefore, we state firmly to all authorized government institutions:
1. President of the Republic of Indonesia
2. Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) RI
3. Minister of Environment and Forestry (LHK) RI
4. Governors and Regional Heads across Kalimantan
Stop pretending. We, as the young generation, demand real and urgent action from the government:
- Enforce criminal sanctions regardless of who the perpetrators are; maximum fines and severe criminal penalties in accordance with established laws.
- Revoke the business licenses of companies that exploit the environment, and commit to a comprehensive evaluation.
- Mandate land/peatland restoration and force perpetrators to pay all ecological damage costs.
- Stop reducing/cutting state budget allocations for environmental protection.
The future of Kalimantan and the future of the young generation cannot simply be wasted. We refuse to keep breathing in smoke, and we will not stay silent watching the earth where we grew up being destroyed by indifference. Together, we urge the President, DPR RI, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and all regional governments to take firm action immediately.
Sign this petition and share it! Let us unite to demand firm action from the government now for environmental justice and the safety of Kalimantan's generations.
#SaveOurForest
Sources
https://www.change.org/p/indonesia-tanpa-karhutla-desak-pemulihan-ekologis-dan-keadilan-untuk-rakyat
https://www.greenpeace.org/indonesia/publikasi/44219/karhutla-dalam-lima-tahun-terakhir/
https://www.greenpeace.org/indonesia/petisi/kebakaran-hutan-dan-lahan/
https://sejarah.dibi.bnpb.go.id/artikel/sejarah-kebakaran-hutan-di-kalimantan-dan-sumatra-pembelajaran-dalam-mitigasi-karhutla/251
https://pantaugambut.id/pelajari/sejarah
https://jdih-mubakab.com/berita-ini-lho-hukuman-bagi-pembakar-hutan-dan-lahan.html
https://dandapala.com/opini/detail/penanggulangan-karhutla-melalui-pertanggungjawaban-pidana-korporasi
25
Masalahnya
ENGLISH VERSION I BAHASA INDONESIA
We are raising the issue of forest and land fires (karhutla) in Kalimantan in 2026 because we feel deeply disturbed, seeing our future continuously ignored by greed and indifference. We, the young generation who are striving to build careers, pursue education, and raise families, are forced to grow up in an environment filled with haze. Our most fundamental right to breathe clean air has simply been robbed from us. Seeing the forests and peatlands—which serve as the ecological fortress we depend on—charred and burned for the sake of profit for a small group of capital holders.
In truth, the history of forest and land fires in Kalimantan is not a new issue that suddenly appeared. We all know that peat drainage and massive land clearing since 1997 changed the natural function of peatlands into highly flammable areas. Recurring tragedies from 2015 to 2019 that burned millions of hectares of land taught us a very expensive lesson. However, it is truly heartbreaking to see the exact same pattern continuing in 2026. Forest fires are never purely caused by natural factors, but rather by greed and the selfishness of individuals who give no thought to the long-term impact of their actions.
What makes us even more enraged is the fact that most hotspots appear in plantation areas owned by large corporations. WALHI has recorded that at least hundreds of companies have had their lands burned year after year. Reports from Greenpeace also prove that year after year, many large companies whose lands burn repeatedly walk free without ever facing strict sanctions. Government institutions seem powerless when facing large corporations, and instead ALLOW them to burn land, while law enforcement always focuses heavily on small citizens. This weak stance and negligence are what cause the forest fire disaster to keep recurring.
Yet in terms of legal regulations, our country is by no means short of laws to take firm action against land burners. Through the Forestry Law, the Environmental Protection and Management Law, to the Plantation Law, threats of prison sentences of over a decade and fines of billions of rupiah are very clearly regulated. Even the principles of corporate criminal liability and procedures for ecological recovery compensation already have a valid legal basis. So, what else is the government waiting for? Do law enforcement agencies want to wait until all the lungs of this land of Kalimantan are ruined before taking serious action?
Therefore, we state firmly to all authorized government institutions:
1. President of the Republic of Indonesia
2. Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) RI
3. Minister of Environment and Forestry (LHK) RI
4. Governors and Regional Heads across Kalimantan
Stop pretending. We, as the young generation, demand real and urgent action from the government:
- Enforce criminal sanctions regardless of who the perpetrators are; maximum fines and severe criminal penalties in accordance with established laws.
- Revoke the business licenses of companies that exploit the environment, and commit to a comprehensive evaluation.
- Mandate land/peatland restoration and force perpetrators to pay all ecological damage costs.
- Stop reducing/cutting state budget allocations for environmental protection.
The future of Kalimantan and the future of the young generation cannot simply be wasted. We refuse to keep breathing in smoke, and we will not stay silent watching the earth where we grew up being destroyed by indifference. Together, we urge the President, DPR RI, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and all regional governments to take firm action immediately.
Sign this petition and share it! Let us unite to demand firm action from the government now for environmental justice and the safety of Kalimantan's generations.
#SaveOurForest
Sources
https://www.change.org/p/indonesia-tanpa-karhutla-desak-pemulihan-ekologis-dan-keadilan-untuk-rakyat
https://www.greenpeace.org/indonesia/publikasi/44219/karhutla-dalam-lima-tahun-terakhir/
https://www.greenpeace.org/indonesia/petisi/kebakaran-hutan-dan-lahan/
https://sejarah.dibi.bnpb.go.id/artikel/sejarah-kebakaran-hutan-di-kalimantan-dan-sumatra-pembelajaran-dalam-mitigasi-karhutla/251
https://pantaugambut.id/pelajari/sejarah
https://jdih-mubakab.com/berita-ini-lho-hukuman-bagi-pembakar-hutan-dan-lahan.html
https://dandapala.com/opini/detail/penanggulangan-karhutla-melalui-pertanggungjawaban-pidana-korporasi
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Petisi dibuat pada 30 September 2026