Deadly anti-Ahmadiyah attack proof govt fails to protect citizens: NGO  

The human rights NGO Imparsial is condemning the government for its failure to protect Ahmadis, three of who were killed in an a violent attack on local residents in Banten on Sunday.

“Once again, the police – a state apparatus – have failed to guarantee religious freedom by protecting Ahmadis from violence. In fact, the police seemed to have ignored the attack instead of strictly enforcing the law by arresting the violent offenders,” Imparsial program director Al Araf said in a statement.

Police said three people were killed in the violence and five were injured and rushed to a local hospital.

Imparsial urged the Banten Police chief to immediately order an investigation and arrest the murder or murderers. “The police must act quickly because Ahmadiyah followers are no different than any other civilians whose rights are protected by the 1945 Constitution,” Al Araf said.

Meanwhile, the Wahid Institute blamed the repeated anti-Ahmadiyah violence on President Yudhoyono. “Violence against Ahmadiyah followers happens almost every day throughout the country. And, yet, the President does not take that into account,” the institute’s program coordinator, Rumadi, said.

Rumadi urged religious leaders not to make any provocative statements that could make things worse.