Protesters inflamed by the repeated refusal of Indonesia's former dictator Suharto to appear at his corruption trial clashed in Jakarta yesterday with police and supporters of the accused.
The frustration of the protesters, who were armed with petrol bombs and sharpened bamboo spears, was compounded by another delay in proceedings: judges inside the heavily guarded agriculture ministry complex being used for the trial ordered an independent medical examination of the ailing defendant and set the next session for September 28th.
After several hours of medical evidence by Mr Suharto's doctors and prosecution experts, the judges said they had yet to be convinced by defence lawyers' claims that their client was too sick to attend.
"In order to get a conclusive answer as to the state of his health the defendant should undergo a comprehensive medical examination by an independent team," the chief judge, Mr Lalu Mariyun, ordered.
This team is to comprise doctors from three universities, the department of health and the Indonesian Doctors' Association. Its members will examine Mr Suharto (79) and report back to the judges within two weeks.
"If he is considered healthy enough, then he must appear," Judge Mariyun said.
The Suharto family and its friends are suspected of looting the country's wealth on a grand scale, but the present case is focusing on Mr Suharto and seven charitable foundations he controlled.
The retired general, who ruled with an iron fist for 32 years until anti-regime riots forced him to step down in May 1998, is charged with embezzling the equivalent of about $564 million through the foundations and taking the proceeds of special taxes he imposed on state firms' profits.
Yesterday was the second session of the slow-moving process. At it, Mr Suharto's doctors used slides of brain scans to argue that the stress of court appearances could kill him. "He has had three strokes in the last two years, and there is a large threat of another stroke", which would be fatal, Dr Teguh Ranuhkusuka said.
He added that Mr Suharto had heart problems, high blood pressure and diabetes, suffered memory loss and could not communicate well. In a cognitive test last month Mr Suharto could complete only the first 12 out of 36 tasks, he said, and his IQ was 84 (the rough average is 110120).
Doctors appointed by the prosecution said they thought Mr Suharto was sufficiently healthy to be investigated and stand trial. Even if he is found to be too sick to be in court there is a possibility he could be tried in absentia.
While glad that the trial had not been halted, many of those in the public gallery were dissatisfied with the pace. "Why do they [the judges] have to wait for two weeks between each session?" said Mr Bintang Pamungkas, an opposition politician jailed several times during the Suharto regime.
"As for the stress argument," he said, "no ordinary citizen would get such favourable treatment."
After the hearing was adjourned about 100 demonstrators headed for Mr Suharto's home in central Jakarta. There they were joined by about 400 others.
After a standoff with about 200 police and dozens of pro-Suharto youths, they attacked the police, who answered with tear-gas and a charge. Photographers and cameramen were forced away from the scene.
Jakarta was noticeably more tense yesterday, with the trial and clashes coming after a huge bomb exploded on Wednesday in the car-park below the Jakarta stock exchange.