Jakarta – Indonesian police fired tear gas cannisters here Thursday to try to block hundreds of anti-Suharto student protestors from marching on the residence of the former strongman, witnesses said. No one was injured in the barrage of cannisters, an AFP reporter on the scene said.

Some 250 mobile brigade police were stretched across a main boulevard near Suharto's residence, blocking the students, who called themselves the "Universal Indonesian Front" from advancing, he said. The students began to push forward, some threw stones and molotov cocktails, when the police let loose with the tear gas, he said.

The incident, just before dusk, came after Suharto, 79, failed to show up for the second hearing of his trial on corruption charges, pleading ill-health.

[On the same day, Detik reported that a number of Forkot student demonstrators who threw molotov cocktails and rocks at police were arrested. It also said that a number of student and worker organisations staged protests at the Attorney General's office. Detik said they were disappointed at the failure of Marzuki Darusman to present Suharto at the trial - James Balowski.]