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Election: Ahmadiyah refugees have high hopes for change
Entering their eight year of displacement, at least 118 Ahmadiyah refugees at the Wisma Transito shelter in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), expressed hope that the 2014 election could ring in the changes
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ntering their eight year of displacement, at least 118 Ahmadiyah refugees at the Wisma Transito shelter in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), expressed hope that the 2014 election could ring in the changes.
'We hope that the president and legislative members elected in the 2014 election could pay us more attention. February marked eight years of our displacement,' Transito shelter coordinator, Syahidin, told The Jakarta Post in Mataram on Wednesday.
Dozens of families were forced to live at the Transito shelter after they were ousted from their homes in Ketapang village, Lingsar district, West Lombok regency, in February 2006.
The Ahmadiyah's living conditions are cramped, without privacy and lack access to clean water and electricity. Since 2008, the government has stopped social assistance for the Ahmadiyah.
'If you ask us about our hopes, all of the families here [at the Transito shelter] want to return home, to work and for our kids to have access to proper education, but when will it happen?' said Syahidin.
Like in the NTB gubernatorial elections in 2008 and 2013, he said, the Ahmadiyah refugees eligible are now registered to participate in the upcoming election.
'Many legislative candidates have come here and promised to give us more attention if elected. Frankly, we are bored with such promises,' Syahidin said. (idb/ebf)
