Democracy under attack

A frequent Australian visitor to Indonesia became physically sick when she received news of last Saturday's suicide bombing of crowded restaurants in Bali. This woman told a journalist in Darwin that Bali is now "finished" as a tourist destination. She grieves for this economic loss of her Balinese friends, and for those killed or injured by terrorists who seek to undermine Indonesia's fledgling democracy. Time will tell whether terrorism killed tourism in Bali on Oct. 1.

But will there now be mass demonstrations by Indonesians in defense of pluralism and democracy? Why since 2001 have there not been Madrid-type mass demonstrations by outraged Indonesians in the wake of terrorist attacks in Jakarta and Bali?

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono represents a real threat to Islamic extremism; extremism that Indonesians comprehensively rejected at the polls last year. Simply casting a vote in favor of moderate Islam is easy. Indonesians must be prepared to "vote with their feet", and support their democratically elected President against extremists who seek to undermine him.

MARK HUNTER, Darwin, Australia.