Prince Charles, John Howard attend Bali memorial service<\/p>\n
Agencies, London<\/p>\n
\"I don't think I can forgive,\" said Amanda Braden, whose son
\nDaniel was killed along with 190 other Westerners when a bomb
\nexploded on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali in October.<\/p>\n
Braden, speaking after a memorial service on Wednesday, was
\nrejecting an appeal for forgiveness by a suspect in her son's
\nkilling and said she did not believe the man was sincere.<\/p>\n
A suspect held in Indonesia, Ali Imron, appealed for
\nunderstanding on Tuesday. \"I am remorseful. I beg forgiveness
\nfrom the families of the victims,\" he told a news conference.<\/p>\n
Unlike judicial systems in the West, Indonesian authorities
\noften give the media considerable access to suspects.<\/p>\n
Daniel Braden's sister, Claire, condemned that coverage.<\/p>\n
\"We feel that the suspects are getting too much publicity. We
\ndon't think they should be on TV,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The Braden family spoke out after the memorial service for the
\ndead at London's Southwark Cathedral, where 800 mourners were
\njoined by Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, and
\nAustralian Prime Minister John Howard.<\/p>\n
Braden's father, Alex, said the service reminded him his
\nfamily were not alone.<\/p>\n
\"It brought home to us how many other people are in the same
\nsituation. Normally you are the only one,\" he said. \"We have up
\ndays and down days. Today was an up day.\"<\/p>\n
Mourners were visibly moved as a misty drizzle enveloped the
\ncathedral, London's oldest gothic church. One woman, dressed in
\nblack, spread out a white tissue on her lap before the service
\nbegan and dabbed her eyes throughout.<\/p>\n
The congregation offered up prayers for victims and bombers
\nalike.<\/p>\n
British Foreign Minister Jack Straw read a passage from the
\nBible. Richard Harries, Bishop of Oxford and campaigner against
\nthe arms trade, gave a sermon sounding a note of caution on the
\nwar on terror.<\/p>\n
\"Terrorism remains a threat and it must be defeated. But
\ndefeating it involves more than good intelligence and the
\nappropriate use of force. It involves confidence in the values we
\nhold,\" the bishop said.<\/p>\n
Twenty-six candles representing the Britons who died in the
\nBali bomb attack were lit on Wednesday at the memorial service
\nheld by their family and friends.<\/p>\n
On the four-month anniversary of the devastating blast which
\ntore through two nightclubs on the Indonesian holiday island,
\nmore than 800 people gathered at Southwark Cathedral in central
\nLondon.<\/p>\n
Nearly 600 of those were relatives of the dead or those who
\nhad survived the atrocity, which police have blamed on Jamaah
\nIslamiyah, a radical Islamic group linked to Osama bin Laden's
\nal-Qaeda network.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Tony Blair was away from London in the
\nafternoon, attending talks with Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern on
\nthe Northern Ireland peace process.<\/p>\n
During the emotional service in the Anglican church on the
\nsouth bank of the River Thames, schoolchildren presented
\nrelatives with Indonesian orchids.<\/p>\n
The children made their way down the aisles handing out the
\nbright fuchsia-pink flowers as an Indonesian musical ensemble
\nplayed a traditional Balinese piece.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/prince-charles-john-howard-attend-bali-memorial-service-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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