LOMBOK: AHMADIYAH'S RETURN POSTPONED

UNCLAS SURABAYA 000026 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/INR, DRL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM KISL KCOR ID SUBJECT: LOMBOK: AHMADIYAH'S RETURN POSTPONED REF: SURABAYA 20 This Message is Sensitive but Unclassified. Please Protect Accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: As reported Reftel, members of the Ahmadiyah community in Lombok, Nusa Tenggara Tengah (NTB),intended to return to their home villages in the West Lombok Regency on March 14. At the request of the West Lombok government, the Ahmadis resident in Transito Camp have agreed to delay their return for one month, until April 14. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) According to an Ahmadiyah coordinator in NTB, the West Lombok Regency government held a meeting on Monday 11 to discuss the Ahmadiyah community's request to return to their homes in Gegerungan Village on March 14 (reftel). A representative of West Lombok subsequently visited the Ahmadis and requested that they cancel plans to return home due to "security reasons." The representative also informed the community that the West Lombok government was still processing the Ahmadi's request for compensation for assets destroyed during the riot that forced the Ahmadi's from their homes three years ago. ¶3. (SBU) Eight representatives from the NTB provincial government (including the heads of the Welfare and Development Department and the Department of Religion) paid a "courtesy visit" to the Transito camp on March 12. They reportedly asked the Ahmadis to "obey current regulations." A representative of the Ahmadiyah community told ConGen Surabaya that there was no point to the meeting since the community already complied with all regulations. ¶4. (SBU) On March 14, the Transito Ahmadiyah community sent a follow-up letter to the West Lombok government stating the community's willingness to delay their return to Gegerungan Village. The letter goes on to inform the government that the community intends to return to their homes on April 14, regardless of the government's response. MCCLELLAND