Southeast Asians respond to haze with art and shelters
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People across Southeast Asia are addressing recurring haze from fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia, through creative expression and direct aid.
In Palembang, Indonesia, the art collective Jaga Api created a performance titled Tarian Kehancuran Budaya (The Dance of Cultural Destruction) using gas masks and imagery of burnt forests. The group shared the performance online, where it gained widespread attention and inspired a similar dance in West Kalimantan by Zwageri Generation, a youth division of a conservation organisation.
Meanwhile, the Ranu Welum Foundation in Kalimantan opened 26 free haze shelters this fire season. These shelters provide refuge for over 3,000 people, offering air filtration, healthcare, and support for firefighters. The foundation began as a student group and partnered with a Singaporean media company, Big Red Button, to establish the shelters after observing the limited impact of online complaints. Ranu Welum also provides assistance to those needing medical care and accepts donations of masks and supplies.
Both Jaga Api and Ranu Welum encourage increased public awareness and action to pressure authorities to address the root causes of the haze.
