Bar destroyed in Bali bombing reopens

Bar destroyed in Bali bombing reopens

Agence France-Presse, Denpasar, Bali

Hundreds of people, including victims of the Bali bombings, attended the reopening of Paddy's Bar, one of the targets of last October's attacks on the Indonesian resort, the venue's owner said on Monday.

The reopening of the new, larger Paddy's Bar, located about 50 meters (165 feet) north of the old site, took place on Saturday, owner Gde Wiratha told AFP on Monday.

Paddy's and the Sari Club were destroyed on Oct. 12 in coordinated bombings that killed 202, mostly Western holidaymakers on Bali's popular Kuta tourist strip.

A third bomb exploded near Bali's U.S. consulate but caused no casualty.

"This is to fulfill the desire of the Kuta people also," Wiratha said. "Don't give a prize to the terrorists. Don't stop because of terrorism."

He said that out of respect for Balinese Hindu culture, he did not want to rebuild at the old location, which he called "a burial site".

The new bar has a capacity of 600, 350 more than its predecessor. The grand opening will take place on Oct. 12, Wiratha said.

Paddy's reopening defied a general malaise which has afflicted Bali's tourism industry and nightlife since the bombings, with 700 people packing the club for the first night, Wiratha said.

Among the guests were victims of the attacks, he said, adding that almost all of Paddy's former employees had returned to their jobs. One worker who sustained hearing damage in the explosion cannot yet work, Wiratha said.

Police say the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) organization staged the bombings to avenge Western oppression of Muslims in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Authorities say JI has links with the al-Qaeda network.

Imam Samudra, who is on trial as the alleged mastermind of the attacks, says he was "disgusted" by the behavior of foreign tourists he saw in Bali

"I saw bules (white people) doing vicious things, drinking and adulterous things there," he said.

Police say a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest inside Paddy's seconds before a massive bomb inside a van exploded outside Sari Club across the street.

More than 30 suspects including Samudra have been detained or are already on trial in connection with the attacks. The first suspect to be tried, Amrozi, is to receive a verdict on his case this on Thursday.