TEMPO.CO, Pekanbaru-Riau Provincial Government has not determined attitude to the lawsuit filed by a group of people disadvantaged by smog. Head of Riau Provincial Government Legal Bureau Ikhwan Ridwan claimed he did not exactly know the material of the lawsuit file. "We have not received the copy of the claim file," explained Ikhwan to Tempo on Friday, March 11, 2016.

Ikhwan stated he had just found out that there was a lawsuit filed by residents who were the victims of the smog disaster but he did not know what material of disadvantage they referred to. Therefore, he had not set the legal steps to face the claim.

"We are waiting for orders from the governor, whether to appoint attorney by ourselves or use the state attorney along with five other defendants’ institutions," he said.

Earlier, a group of residents in Riau sued the state for damages of the smog hitting the province since 18 years ago. The four plaintiffs were Chairman of Melayu Riau Traditional Institution Al Azhar, Director of Riau Environment Forum Rico Kurniawan, Coordinator of the Sikukeluang Culture House, and Coordinator of Riau Forest Rescue Network Woro Supartinah.

RIYAN NOFITRA