Banda Aceh – Hundreds of Indonesian protesters vented their anger on Wednesday against the state body tasked with reconstructing tsunami-hit Aceh province, throwing stones at police and the agency's office.

The mob, which had camped outside the office since Tuesday night, accused the reconstruction agency, BRR, of sluggishness in providing decent housing for survivors of the December 26, 2004, tsunami that left 170,000 killed or missing and half a million homeless in Aceh.

The rally turned violent after police tried to disperse the crowd, which in return showered the officers with stones, officials said.

"The stone-throwing damaged police facilities including two cars. We decided to disperse the crowd because they had been staying outside the BRR office beyond the timeline that we gave them," said Banda Aceh deputy police chief Dedy Setyo. He said the stones hit several policemen but did not dent the BRR building.

Most of the protesters were among those still living in temporary wooden barracks for tsunami survivors that dot areas surrounding the provincial capital Banda Aceh. They have long demanded the government provide them the permanent housing already constructed for many residents of other devastated coastal areas.

BRR says it has coordinated the building of more than 40,000 houses for tsunami survivors across the province.

The agency is under fire after a leading Indonesian anti-graft group last month accused the body of financial irregularities in five of its projects worth 23.9 billion rupiah ($2.6 million).

Some BRR officials said the report was inaccurate and could affect disbursement of funds from foreign donors. However, agency chief Kuntoro Mangkusubroto said several staff were being investigated.

International agencies and countries have poured $4.6 billion into the reconstruction of Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra island after it was hit by the devastating tsunami that left up to 232,000 people dead or missing in a dozen Indian Ocean nations.