Judges adjourned the hearing until Oct 21 due to the government's absence from the proceedings in the provincial capital of Pontianak on Borneo. (Wikipedia pic)

PONTIANAK: Indigenous and civil-society organisations in Indonesia's West Kalimantan criticised the national government for failing to attend the first court proceedings in their class action suit seeking to hold it responsible for the haze engulfing the province.

Judges adjourned the hearing on Wednesday until Oct 21 due to the government's absence from the proceedings in the provincial capital of Pontianak on Borneo.

The suit claims the government was negligent in failing to prevent and adequately deal with forest and land fires that burn every year.