Kalimantan Fires and Land Concessions: A Regional Precedent

Fires continue to burn in Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of Borneo, affecting approximately 48,000 hectares of land this year. Kynan Tegar, an indigenous activist and filmmaker, attributes these fires to intentional actions by agricultural corporations. This assessment aligns with historical patterns stemming from Indonesia’s New Order period in the 1970s, when land concessions were extensively granted to companies.

While the immediate focus remains on Indonesia, the underlying dynamics of land concession policies and their impact on indigenous populations resonate across the Asia-Pacific region. Development banks, for instance, have been cited for denying justice to indigenous peoples in Asia, a claim published in The Jakarta Post in 2026. This suggests a systemic issue beyond the scope of individual corporate actions in specific locations.

The situation in Kalimantan, where land has been leased for decades, indicates a long-standing tension between resource exploitation and traditional land tenure. Kynan Tegar specifically links the current devastation to a process that began with these historical concessions. The scale of the burned area, 48,000 hectares, underscores the environmental consequences of such policies.

For Thailand, this serves as a relevant comparative case. While the contexts differ, Thailand faces its own challenges regarding land use and the involvement of indigenous communities. The Japan Times reported in 2026 on tech-equipped indigenous firefighters protecting Thai forests, demonstrating the active role these communities play in environmental stewardship, often in areas vulnerable to similar pressures. The United Nations Development Programme also highlighted indigenous youth leaders bridging the digital divide for climate justice in 2025, suggesting their continued engagement in environmental protection through technology.

However, the persistent issue of land concessions and the intentional nature of the fires, as claimed by Tegar, present a difficult challenge. It is not merely a matter of natural disaster but of economic interests driving ecological destruction. This implies that regulatory frameworks intended to balance development with environmental protection are failing to prevent such outcomes.

The specific mechanisms through which corporations may instigate these fires, as alleged by Kynan Tegar, are not detailed in the available information. However, the sheer scale and recurring nature of these incidents, traced back to the 1970s, point to a deeply entrenched problem. Addressing this requires examining how existing regulations on land use and corporate accountability are enforced, and whether they adequately protect the rights and territories of indigenous communities in the face of sustained economic pressure.