JAKARTA after Idul Fitri this year not only sees lonelier streets but also fewer beggars. In fact, in the fasting month of Ramadan, they were like flying termites swarming over neon lights. They thronged around radiant objects, only to fly away as the Idul Fitri holiday arrived.

Susana Wati, 38, was one of those "termites". The woman from Karawang, West Java, knows very well that during Ramadan Jakarta citizens, usually unconcerned, turn compa