Bali remembers bombing tragedy
The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Jakarta
Today two years ago, extremists bombed Bali in the country's worst terrorist attack, but since then life has returned to normal with sunburned tourists again packing beaches and bars on the resort island.
But the pain is still plaguing victims, many of whom were foreign tourists. At least 202 people died in the Oct. 12, 2002 bombings.
In the months following the attacks, the island was left deserted and devastated as foreign tourists shunned it.
However, things are different now. Hotels located near the popular Kuta and Legian surfing beaches, are almost back to full occupancy, while restaurants and bars are enjoying steady business.
According to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics, the number of foreign tourist arrivals at Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport increased by 53 percent between January and August this year.
Memorial events are being prepared by Balinese residents, the families of the bombing victims and the Australian government to commemorate the tragedy on Tuesday on the Kuta nightclub strip -- the site of the blasts.
The Bali administration will not officially organize an commemorative event as this would be out of keeping with tradition in the predominantly Hindu province. However, local officials said they are assisting the staging of memorial events.
Australian Ambassador to Indonesia David Ritchie arrived in Bali on Sunday to be present for the second anniversary of the attacks, Bali Police spokesman Sr. Comr. AS Reniban said.
Along with Badung regent Cok Ratmadi, Ritchie is slated on Tuesday to inaugurate a monument in front of the Panin Bank branch on Jl. Legian, some three kilometers east of the bomb site.
The ambassador will later hold prayers along with all the survivors and families of the dead at the blast site. At least 88 Australian tourists were among those killed in the devastating attacks.
"The ceremony will be guarded by around 1,096 police officers. They have been deployed around the venue of the ceremony," Reniban said.
Bali's pecalang (traditional militia) and local youths, numbering a total of 655 guards, as well as scores of military personnel are helping the police provide security for the event, which will cost around Rp 60.9 million (US$6,766).
Commemoration committee chairman I Nyoman Bagiana Karang said the Kuta area would be closed to motorists and those not participating in the event.
"Jl. Legian will be closed for 24 hours from 6 a.m. on Tuesday. The street will be reopened again at 6 a.m. on Wednesday," he added.
Motorists are advised to bypass the streets leading to Legian to avoid traffic congestion.
Bagiana said Tuesday's commemorative ceremony will feature a series of memorial events, including a simple wreath-laying service at the scene of the attacks.
Other activities include the playing of a documentary on the bombings, the release of doves as symbols of peace, and a candlelight vigil.
The families of the dead victims and survivors will be given a chance to make memorial speeches before the procession is closed with a peace forum.
The anniversary comes just over a month after a suicide bomber attacked the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, killing 10 people. The latest blast highlighted the fact that the terrorist threat still persists in Indonesia despite the arrest of more than 100 suspects since 2002.
Jamaah Islamiyah has been blamed for the Bali and embassy attacks, as well as the suicide bombing last year of the J.W. Marriott Hotel that killed 12 people.