Indonesia Haze Crisis Sparks Student Protests as Singapore Steps Up Fire Scrutiny

JAKARTA/SINGAPORE, October 23, 2026 — Students in Indonesia have stepped up protests over a severe smoke-haze emergency caused by forest and peatland fires, as the pollution continues to affect neighboring countries.

More than 500 demonstrators gathered in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, on Friday to demand stronger government action, according to Associated Press reporting. Protests have taken place in several Indonesian cities, with some campaigners calling for a national emergency declaration.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Health has recorded more than 333,470 acute respiratory illness cases across seven affected provinces since mid-August, according to figures cited by the AP. The tally describes reported illnesses in affected areas; it should not be interpreted as proof that every case was caused by wildfire smoke.

Singapore increases pressure on companies

Singapore’s National Environment Agency said on October 23 that it had issued preventive-measure notices to 10 companies in Indonesia over fires on plantation land that may have contributed to transboundary haze. Seven notices were sent on October 16 and three more on October 19. The notices require firefighting and fire-prevention action; they do not, by themselves, establish criminal liability.

The agency also sought information from 10 Singapore-based companies about their operations and fire-prevention measures. Read the NEA’s October 23 statement.

Why the crisis matters

Forest and peatland fires can send smoke across national borders, exposing communities far from the flames. Reuters has reported that prolonged dry conditions associated with El Niño have intensified this year’s fires, while officials have deployed tens of thousands of personnel to combat them.

Singapore’s official haze service warned on October 23 that the risk of severe transboundary haze remained elevated in areas experiencing prolonged dry weather, even where showers offered some relief. Follow official haze conditions.

Featured-image note: The photograph shows haze in Singapore in October 2015, not the current 2026 fires. Photo: Jimmy Tan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0; WordPress generated resized versions.

Reporting sources: Associated Press, October 23; Singapore NEA, October 23; Reuters, October 22.

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