Day of remembrance: Survivors, victims' families mark 20th anniversary of deadly 2002 Bali bombings
A bouquet of flowers dedicated to Australian sisters Renae and Nicole Lee who died in the 2002 Bali bombings. (Photos: CNA/Wisnu Agung Prasetyo)
BALI: Emotions ran high as mourners gathered in Bali on Wednesday (Oct 12) to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 2002 Bali bombings.
The event held at the 2002 Bali Bombing Monument on Legian Road attracted survivors and family members who lost their loved ones in the deadliest terrorist attack to hit Indonesia.
Hundreds of people from the local Balinese community also attended the event to pay their respects.
The local community choreographed a dance to kick start the occasion, attracting hundreds of curious onlookers. The dance, a mix of traditional Balinese and modern movements, is said to symbolise love and peace amid adversity.
The event took a more sombre tone minutes later. Leaders of different religions took turns to offer prayers for the victims as well as to wish for lasting peace on the tourist island.
Some mourners were reduced to tears during the ceremony, particularly as Australian Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts recounted the ordeals faced by one of the survivors of the blast and her long road to recovery.
“We will always remember those 202 innocent people ... And we remember the valour and the quiet courage of those who saw the worst of humanity and responded with the best,” said Mr Watts.
Survivors, family members of the victims and government officials were then invited to place 20 flowers and light 20 candles at the monument to mark the anniversary.
"IT MEANS A LOT"
The terrorist attack did not only affect Indonesians but also holidaymakers from 21 other nations. Some mourners flew all the way from countries like Australia and the United Kingdom to participate in the ceremony. Eighty-eight of the 202 victims were Australian, while 20 were from the UK.
Australian retiree Danny Hanley, who lost two daughters to the attack, said he has been coming to the annual commemoration every year except in 2020 and 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and international travel halted.
“I’m happy I’m here for the 20th (anniversary). It means a lot,” Mr Hanley told CNA. “Coming here has helped me all these 20 years. You get some respite from the pain. But you never get over it fully.
Mr Hanley brought with him a bouquet and a photograph of his two daughters to the site of the bombings in Bali’s popular tourist area of Kuta, where a monument made out of carved sandstone and marble now stands.
The retiree also left a note on the bouquet: “To our beautiful girls Renae & Simone. It is twenty years on and not a day has gone by without thinking of you both, and how we lost two treasures. Our hearts will cry for you forever.”
The foot of the monument was covered with flowers, letters, photographs and candles on Wednesday morning. These items were left there by dozens of family members who had been visiting the monument since Monday.
Meanwhile, the predominantly Hindu Balinese community left flower offerings and incense at the monument after they made their prayers to the deceased.
Indonesian coordinating minister for politics, legal and security Mohammad Mahfud Mahmodin addressed participants of the memorial via a video message that was played on two large LED displays erected on both sides of the monument.
"Tonight we mourn and we will continue to mourn the lives lost in all acts of terrorism, which we must make sure to never happen again," he said in the video.
Later on, a 10-minute documentary about the incident and its aftermath was screened, featuring footage taken on that fateful night. The scenes were enough to make some survivors of the attack break down and sob.
A moment of silence was observed at 11.30pm, about the same time as the twin blasts 20 years ago.
Attendees lit candles and held up their mobile phone flashlights as several trumpet players marked the anniversary.
"WE MUST NEVER LET THEM BE FORGOTTEN"
On Oct 12, 2002, two bombs exploded within seconds apart at about 11pm on a busy Saturday evening.
The two suicide bombers responsible for pulling the trigger had targetted two locations which were roughly opposite each other: Paddy’s Pub and Sari Club. The two were at the time packed with local and international tourists.
The second blast, which originated from a van packed with hundreds of kilograms of explosives, was so powerful that it could be heard from 9km away. It left a crater about 1m deep.
The 2002 Bali bombings was blamed on the Al Qaeda-linked terrorism network Jemaah Islamiyah.
“It is important for people to know what happened 20 years ago,” Bali bombings survivor Thiolina Marpaung told CNA on why she volunteered to become one of the memorial’s organisers.
“There are people who lost their loved ones. There are children who never got to know their parents. We must never let them be forgotten.”
