URGENT APPEAL FOR SUPPORT

Indonesian Women’s Organisation or Serikat Perempuan Indonesia (SERUNI), a grass root women’s organisation fighting for a just world and women’s equality is appealing for your support to save the lives of Indonesian people in Sumatra and Kalimantan islands who have been affected severely by intense smog due to forest burning for the purpose of multi-national corporation’s projects. Seruni works with Indonesian Peoples Struggle Front or Front Perjuangan Rakyat (FPR-Indonesia), a multi-sectoral coalition of Indonesian people fighting for genuine democracy and social justice.

Already three months the two big islands have been surrounded by smog everyday and people are confined inside the houses unable to perform daily activities. School and government functions are closed. Meanwhile  work and  income is affected. People have been forced to leave their houses and move to hospitals, bigger halls or neighbouring provinces to have fresh air. Babies are dying every day, admitted to hospitals suffering acute breathing difficulties and cough. Pregnant women and the babies they are carrying are vulnerable to risk and damage, such as premature birth or worst miscarriage.

Problems of health because of smog became a daily experience in these two island, some ending up dead. Medical services come with high medical cost or fees. Victims are abandoned and having difficulties accessing medical mask and medical assistance.

Unfortunately, Indonesian Government nationally and locally refuses to acknowledge this issue as national disaster and continue to deny its danger to the people. They refuse to investigate and prosecute the multi-national corporations who are behind the forest burning in these two big islands. They do not have the will to save the life of Indonesian people affected by smog in Sumatera and Kalimantan Island.

We need your support to pressure Indonesian Government to act immediately to save the life of Indonesian people in Sumatera and Kalimantan:

  1. To declare this situation as national disaster
  2. To provide free medical assistance to all victims unconditionally
  3. To give compensation to all victim of smog
  4. To prosecute the corporations behind the forest burning and to stop land grabbing

 

We also need your support to provide services to the victim. Identified services needed are:

  1. Standard medical mask
  2. Vitamin and milk
  3. Evacuation room that is comfortable for babies and family
  4. Operational cost to provide services and doing emergency evacuation

 

Recommendation of action:

  1. Write a statement of your support and send it to Indonesian President Joko Widodo and also to Seruni email (seruniindonesia@yahoo.com)
  2. Upload selfie or group photo in social media with posters of your support and mention it to @jokowi and also tag it to seruni (facebook.com/seruni, @Seruni_ID)

Example writing in posters:

THAILAND (country where you are)

PRESIDENT JOKOWI

# SAVE SMOG’S VICTIMS NOW

# FREE MEDICATION FOR ALL VICTIMS

# RAWAT KORBAN ASAP (in bahasa mandatory)

# EVAKUASI SAUDARA KAMI (in bahasa mandatory)

# CLEAN THE LANDLORD SMOG

  1. Gather support and send it to us. There is a center for  support that is in JAMBI, RIAU and Kalimantan

 

Thank you and looking forward for your support.

 

In solidarity,

 

Dewi Amelia

SERUNI