Three years ago, massive fires raged in Sumatra and Borneo, spewing thick smoke that quickly spread to Singapore and parts of Malaysia. The resulting pollution was blamed for health problems and a drop in tourism in both nations. Even so, residents in Pekanbaru shrugged off government warnings to stay indoors today, as the skies cleared after overnight showers. We've had this for the past few years now. You might cough a bit, but the pollution level is not serious.
Life is normal.
Many commuters waved off the municipal workers handing out the surgical masks, saying they could not be bothered to use them. Former Indonesian dictator Suharto was unable or unwilling to stop the 1997 forest fires. That convinced some observers that the former autocrat no longer had effective control over the country, which he had ruled with an iron hand for 32 years. He was soon ousted from power amid massive rioting and pro-democracy protests. With officials warning about new blazes in many parts of Sumatra, many fear that a repeat of the fires could pose a serious problem for Wahid's new reformist government.