Southeast Asia’s toxic haze spurs calls for legal action against polluters

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – As toxic haze from Indonesia’s worst wildfires in a decade clouded skies across Malaysia and Singapore over the past two months, a growing clamour of voices has demanded legal accountability. In theory, a patchwork of domestic and international laws makes it possible for Southeast Asian governments to hold polluters responsible for cross-border haze, most of which has been blamed on land clearing by Indonesian palm oil plantation owners. In practice, sensitivities around national sovereignty, a lack of enforcement mechanisms, and the practical challenges of evidence collection make legal action difficult, if not infeasible.