Indonesia’s Campaign to Eradicate Asbestos Mortality: 2026 Update
Indonesia is a significant asbestos market, both in terms of the amount of asbestos it imports and its strategic importance.1 To compensate for the collapse of global demand, asbestos vested interests are fighting tooth and nail to protect this market and others like it. They do this by opposing the introduction of every government restriction, contesting the dissemination of unfavorable publicity and challenging each new piece of adverse scientific and medical evidence.
Many of the traditional ploys used by this toxic industry’s lobby were deployed in Indonesia.2 Although a lawsuit by the industry – intended to frustrate efforts to protect Indonesians from toxic asbestos exposures – was quashed,3 the litigation process was time-consuming, emotionally taxing and physically exhausting. It was well past time that those under attack had the chance to refresh, reevaluate and consider plans for the future in the company of fellow campaigners. A few days in the tranquil village of Tembi, near Java’s cultural center of Yogyakarta, was just the ticket.
 Picture of participants and facilitators at the Asbestos Retreat. The English translation of the slogan on the large white poster in the background – “Memperkuat Gerakan Penghapusan Penyakit Akibat Asbes di Indonesia” – is “Strengthening the Movement to Eliminate Asbestos-Related Diseases in Indonesia.” Picture courtesy of INA-BAN (Enlarge this image). |
On June 19-21, 2026, industry-targeted campaigners from the Indonesian Ban Asbestos Network (INA-BAN) were joined by activists from the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI), several civil society groups and trade unions at an asbestos retreat in Yogyakarta, in the heart of Java. The title of the event described the purpose of the gathering very well: “Memperkuat Gerakan Penghapusan Penyakit Akibat Asbes di Indonesia”; the English translation is “Strengthening the Movement to Eliminate Asbestos-Related Diseases in Indonesia.”
 The slogan on the tee shirts – “Bebaskan Rumahmu Dari behaya Asbes” – translates as: “Free your Home from the Asbestos Danger” in English. Picture courtesy of INA-BAN. |
As a result of intensive planning in the weeks before the event and the skillful input of professional facilitators, a varied agenda was covered by the dozens of organizers and experts taking part in the discussions.4 Emphasizing the importance of grassroots solidarity in the legal fight against the asbestos industry’s Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP), INA-BAN’s Coordinator Muchamad Darisman told the meeting:
“This struggle cannot be undertaken by a single organization alone. Collaboration among labor unions, academics, civil society organizations, health professionals, the media, and the government is essential to ensure public and occupational protection from asbestos exposures. The discussions this weekend are a pivotal opportunity to strengthen our collective movement toward an Indonesia free from asbestos-related diseases and reinvigorate the grassroots network challenging plans to expand asbestos markets in Indonesia.”
Echoing Darisman’s sentiments, INA-BAN’s action coordinator Dhiccey Sandewa reinforced the importance of strategic thinking and forward planning:
“We cannot stop at campaigning alone. The movement to eliminate asbestos must drive tangible policy changes, strengthen protections for exposed workers and the public, and ensure that victims of asbestos-related diseases receive their rights.”
Reaffirming the commitment of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) to occupational safety and health, Dimas P. Wardhana, the KSPI’s Asbestos Project Co-Coordinator, acknowledged the huge challenges ahead:
“Workers are the group most vulnerable to asbestos exposure. Therefore, the struggle to eliminate asbestos use is part of the fight to protect workers’ rights to a safe and healthy work environment. No worker should lose their health, productivity, or even their life due to exposure to hazardous materials when such exposure is entirely preventable.”
By a somewhat bizarre quirk of fate, as the gathering on Java was just getting under way, news was uploaded about an asbestos-industry initiative between the East Java Consumer Protection Foundation and Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry and the Russian Government which would lock Indonesia into many more years of asbestos imports and production. You couldn’t make it up.5
June 25, 2026
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1 Indonesia is one of the world’s largest asbestos importers, with average annual imports exceeding 97,000 tonnes over the last five years. In 2025, Indonesia’s asbestos imports totaled ~87,600 tonnes from Russia, Brazil, Kazakhstan, and China.
2 Kazan-Allen, L. Getting Away with Murder. August 11, 2012.
https://www.ibasecretariat.org/lka-getting-away-with-murder.php
3 Kazan-Allen, L. Indonesia Update 2025: Victories, Research, Subterfuge. December 16, 2025.
https://ibasecretariat.org/lka-indonesia-update-2025-victories-research-subterfuge.php
APHEDA. Key Win over the Asbestos Industry in Indonesia. December 23, 2025.
https://apheda.org.au/key-win-over-the-asbestos-industry-in-indonesia/
4 KSPI dan INA-BAN Perkuat Aliansi Nasional Dorong Indonesia Bebas Penyakit Akibat Asbes [KSPI and INA-BAN Strengthen National Alliance to Promote an Asbestos-Free Indonesia]. June 21, 2026.
https://www.kspicitu.org/kspi-dan-ina-ban-perkuat-aliansi-nasional-dorong-indonesia-bebas-penyakit-akibat-asbes/
Asbes Disebut Ancaman Mematikan, KSPI Minta Larangan Nasional [Asbestos Called a Deadly Threat, KSPI Calls for a National Ban]. June 21, 2026.
https://orbitnasional.com/2026/06/21/asbes-disebut-ancaman-mematikan-kspi-minta-larangan-nasional/
5 Akselerasi Riset Krisotil Asbes: Indonesia Bidik Kerja Sama Strategis di INNOPROM 2026 [Accelerating Chrysotile Asbestos Research: Indonesia Targets Strategic Partnership at INNOPROM 2026]. June 19, 2026.
https://infonews.id/baca-9812-akselerasi-riset-krisotil-asbes-indonesia-bidik-kerja-sama-strategis-di-innoprom-2026
