Not only these children lose a family history, they also may face difficulties to continue their education, because they do not have a birth certificate as a requirement to be able to enroll in school.
Source/Credit: BBC Indonesia
By Sigit Purnomo | August 3, 2013
Translated from Bahasa Indonesia by Taufiq Junizar
The majority of Ahmadi children here do not attend school because they have no birth certificate.
A number of children ranging in age from three to seven years are seen playing in front of Transito Guesthouse in Mataram, Nusa Tenggara Barat. They are singing, or just kidding by loughing loudly, and at a glance we can not see a burden that is reflected from the faces of this innocent Ahmadi children.
In fact many of them are not in school as the other fellows at their age.
Not far from them there are two mothers who take care of the baby while watching their other two girls, “we're chatting just to remove fatigue, because it is hot inside” said a mother when being asked by Indonesian BBC reporter, Sigit Purnomo.
Conditions of shelter they occupy - and cramped cubicle separated by a tarp or old cloth - it is very improper for the growth and development of children. But for these children, this is their hometown.
“They do not know where their hometown actually located,” said Syahidin, the coodinator of Ahmadiyah refugees in Transito guesthouse, Mataram, NTB.
“Since the evacuation seven years, five months ago, there have been 24 children born in this shelter,” Syahidin added.
“They were removed from the roots. All lost, only shadow and story remain when they asked about their hometown.”
‘The impact of discrimination’
According to Syahidin, these children are affected by discrimination from local government and it can be considered as they have already eliminated the right of citizens to the Ahmadis.
“Most of them do not have birth certificates because their parents do not have a residence card, as a result, many children can not enroll in school,” said Syahidin who claimed his son also suffered discrimination because of rejection when signing in local pre-kindergaten.
Syahidin further added that he had trouble getting citizenship documents because all of his files including a marriage certificate were burned when anti-Ahmadiyyas attack his village at Ketapang, village Gegerung, Lingsar subdistrict, West Lombok.
“There are also some of them who could have a birth certificate because they have been assisted by their family in order to make it through, but at school in the classroom, the Ahmadi children must seat separated by other children.”
National commission for women's rights in an annual report called the Ahmadiyah women and children become victims of several discriminations. In its findings the National Commission declared Ahmadiyah children suffered human rights violations, in particular violations of children's rights to be free from discrimination and the right of the child to education.
Find the solution
Department of Education in a local media, stated that they will give dispensation and ensure Ahmadiyah children to have an equal right to education.
But in the reality, what Ahmadi members found is contrary to the statement. “It is still difficult for us to enroll our children to school.” said Nurhidayati who has two children..
“I feel sad, especially when I think about the future of our children if they are not in school, There is no of idea about the glimpse of future of our children will be, because we do not know for how long we must live here,” Nurhidayati added.
Nurhidayati herself claimed to be evacuated to Wanasigra, West Java, while she was still in junior high school first in order to stay in school.
Ahmadiyya Central Committee previously had a policy of evacuating dozens of Ahmadiyah to a number of areas such as Wanasigra and Tasikmalaya, West Java so that their children can stay in school.
But these policies are considered to be vulnerable for children exploitation and trafficking, so many Ahmadi children refused or returned to Lombok, NTB.
“Psychological condition of children is much different than if they were living alone, a lot of negative things that affect children. Now with my husband, we were looking at how to get out of here slowly even without help from the government. Because I was thinking for the future of the children, "said Nurhidayati.
Read original post here: Indonesia: How difficult to be Ahmadi children at Matraram’s guest house?
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