October 12, 2004 - 12:00 PM

Bali marks bombings' anniversary

By Achmad Sukarsono

KUTA BEACH, Indonesia (Reuters) - Under a scorching Bali sun with police helicopters providing
security, hundreds have gathered to mark the second anniversary of the blasts that rocked the paradise
isle and killed 202 people.

Australians who lost 88 countrymen in the attack by Islamic militants defied a warning from their
government that Indonesia is still shadowed by the threat of terrorism.

Several victims' relatives wore shirts with pictures of the faces of lost loved ones, some of their
countrymen came straight from the beach in bathing suits, and a few draped national symbols around
their sun-baked bodies.

"I can stay home and be hit by a car. But I'm now here wearing this flag and can become a target. I am
not going to be scared," said Queensland tourist Jamie Cameron, wearing the Australian flag like a
cape.

He stood near the place where bombers linked to Jemaah Islamiah, considered al Qaeda's Southeast
Asian arm, detonated a car bomb, wreaking havoc on October 12, 2002.

Danny Hanley lost his two twin daughters in the blast and said he would come to Bali annually in their
honour.

"I am going to be here every year. I lose it every time I talk about them and you never stop crying. But I
had to be here. You can't let the terrorists beat us," said the 57-year-old electrician from Sydney, after
filming Indonesian and Australian ceremonies at the site.

The Australians joined Indonesians ranging from Balinese Hindus in sarongs to Javanese women
wearing Muslim headscarves, and nationals of other countries who suffered in the bloodiest single act of
terror in Southeast Asia in recent years.

The commemoration inaugurated the final stage of a memorial located just across from the Sari Club
where most victims died.

Last year, the memorial consisted of an altar, a wall of granite and limestone where names of
casualties were written in gold, and 22 flags representing the victims' nationalities.

This year, a fountain circled by flowers has been added and a 12-metre tall, ornate limestone wall
stands as a backdrop.

ERADICATE EVIL

The Australian ambassador to Indonesia -- who narrowly escaped injury himself when Australia's
Jakarta embassy became the target of a bomb last month that killed nine, all Indonesians -- said the two
countries are hand in hand to fight terror.

"We are not only united in our grief and sympathy but also in our determination to eradicate this evil
from our world," said David Ritchie.

Ritchie also quoted from a speech delivered by Indonesian president-elect Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono during last year's commemoration that vowed to put the attackers "in our darkest dungeons,
locked away deep beneath our children's playground".

Security was tight with more than 1,000 policemen, many carrying rifles, deployed around the
memorial. Metal detectors were used to scan the bags and pockets of anyone wanting to get near.

Terrorists could do the same thing again if given the chance, said Bali police chief I Made Mangku
Pastika. But he also said threats should not keep tourists away. "Not being terrorised is a way to fight
terrorism."

In Australia, Prime Minister John Howard reaffirmed a commitment to the war on terror as services
were held around the nation to commemorate the anniversary.

"It's an occasion not only to remember those who lost so much and those 88 Australians who were
murdered, but also to re-dedicate ourselves in cooperation with our friends in the region and around the
world to the fight against terrorism."

Australian-born Nathalie Juniardi, who lost her Indonesian husband in the tragedy, said in Bali she felt
secure and had no plans to move from the island where she has stayed for 15 years.

"I have my husband's business to run and keep his dream alive. I have been here for such a long time
so I cannot just run away from it," said the mother of two boys.

Komang Muliawati, a shopkeeper at a minimart near the bombsite, said: "The fear is always there, but
we feel safe when we see many policemen around."

Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country. While the vast majority of its Muslims are
moderate, it was criticised by other countries for not taking the threat of violence seriously enough ahead
of the Bali blasts.