AT first, it did not occur to Hadi that the strangers milling about in front of his house, hanging around a kiosk and sitting on the mosque terrace were police officers. The 21-year-old resident of Kampung Sawah, Ciputat, found out the truth several hours later. The men asked anyone loitering around the Jalan Ki Hajar Dewantara intersection to stay away from the area.

The locals were obviously surprised by the order, but understood when the men e