Ja'far Umar Thalib went to the East Jakarta District Court practically alone last week. In the past, the Commander of the Laskar Jihad would have been accompanied by scores of his men. As he was every time he went to court, when he was on trial recently for slander against President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

This time only two men, his lawyer and an unidentified person, accompanied him. This time, the courtroom wasn't crowded with angry young me