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Thousands of students protest across Indonesia as President Prabowo refuses to declare an emergency over choking haze

Thousands of students protest across Indonesia as President Prabowo refuses to declare an emergency over choking haze

More than 333,470 people across seven Indonesian provinces have suffered acute respiratory illnesses since mid-August, up from nearly 280,000 a week earlier. On Friday more than 500 protesters massed outside the Central Kalimantan governor's office in Palangkaraya, a city on Borneo tinged orange by smoke. Fires have scorched more than 1.9 million hectares this year. An emergency declaration would unlock funds for medical bills.

'In Indonesia, we're so angry,' said Bandung student Vincent Thomas, demanding officials be held accountable.

Protests hit Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Pekanbaru and Makassar on the government's second anniversary.

One placard in Palangkaraya warned: 'If we burn, you burn with us!'

MoreThe IndependentThousands of Indonesian students protest over haze and demand emergency declaredThe IndependentSoutheast Asia's worst haze in over a decade sparks student protestsNYTProtests in Indonesia Demand Action to Stop Rainforest FiresNY PostToxic haze covering Southeast Asian cities sparks student protests in Indonesia: ‘If we burn, you burn with us!’The HeraldStudents demonstrate in Indonesia after toxic haze hits Southeast Asian nations
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