TEMPO.CO, Sidoarjo - The national commission for women (Komnas Perempuan) has reported that there are 332 Shia refugees in Sampang who are left unattended. They are sheltered in Puspa Agro Flat, Sidoarjo, East Java.
Komnas Perempuan Commissioner Riri Hariroh said in a statement that it has been 4 years that the refugees feel like a stranger in their own land. Riri added that on their visit to the shelter, they noticed that the refugees are living in a poor condition.
The commission then urged the government to fulfill the refugees' rights on economy, social, and culture. Riri said that the government need to map out the (existing) problems, in order to find resolution.
"The government needs to secure their rights of religion," she said.
The refugees have lived in the shelter since August 2012. They were relocated to the shelter after fellow locals in Sampang, Madura, attacked them over differences in belief system.
NUR HADI