IT was after 1am when Suharno stopped by at vendor Nur Iman’s cart in Kantil alley, Sanggrahan, Sukoharjo, Central Java. He bought two fried food items and two packages of nasi kucing—small portions of rice—with side dishes of fish. “For my wife’s pre-dawn meal,” he explained.

He didn’t have the time to chat in the small hours that Saturday two weeks ago. Just the usual question, “Still got any rice?” which Nur Iman answered by