A number of activists from the Clean Air Initiative Movement for the Coalition of the Universe (Capital City) hold a peaceful protest before the trial for reading the verdict on the lawsuit related to air pollution at the Central Jakarta District Court, Indonesia on Thursday, September 16, 2021. Photo Credit: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
EnvironmentSociety IndonesiaThe Right to Health: “We Must Improve Air Quality” Orders Capital City
A court in Jakarta ruled that the Indonesian government has failed to protect citizens’ rights to clean air, ordering them to take action. The city is home to ten million people, with some thirty million more living in its suburbs.
Back in 2019, 32 residents filed a lawsuit seeking healthier living conditions, demanding that there be more supervision and sanctions on polluters. The Central Jakarta District Court has just voted in favor of the plaintiffs, ordering the central government to improve air quality in the capital city.
Presiding Judge Saifuddin Zuhri stated that Indonesian President Joko Widodo as well as six other top officials must take massive action to guarantee the citizens of Jakarta their rights to health.
