Jakarta – West Lombok regency has decided forbid members of the Ahmadiyah Islamic sect, who have been living in uncertainty at a refugee center in West Nusa Tenggara for three years, to return to their home citing security reason.

Basirun Anwat, spokesman of the regency, told tempointeraktif.com Saturday that the decision was made during a meeting attended the regency secretary, local leaders forum and the sect members on Thursday. "To ensure security, they are not allowed to go home," he said.

Basirun also said that Ahmadiyah members were still allowed to work on their home farm and that the regency were going to discuss buying their land so they can move elsewhere.

Last month, 68 Ahmadiyah members of 17 families decided to risk going from the Transito building in Mataram back to their homes in Ketapang hamlet, Gegerung village, Lingsar district, West Lombok regency, on March 14.

At least 160 Ahmadiyah members from 33 families were driven from their homes after hard-line Muslims attacked them and destroyed their homes and belongings in early February 2006.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) previously issued an edict calling the Ahmadiyah heretical. The edict was seized upon by other hard-line Muslims to attack the sect's followers elsewhere, including in West Java. (dre)