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The bombings on 12 October 2002 killed more than 200 people, and badly affected Bali's tourist industry. Earlier this month the island suffered another attack, when three suicide bombers killed 20 people. The BBC's correspondent in Jakarta, Rachel Harvey, says that in sharp contrast to the aftermath of the 2002 attacks, the predominantly Hindu population of Bali has been spurred into action by this latest bombing. There have been regular protests against the militants in recent days, as local people attempt to rebuild their lives for a second time in three years. Wearing traditional Balinese headbands and sarongs, about 500 people tried to break into Denpasar's Kerobokan jail on Wednesday, shouting: "Kill Amrozi, kill Amrozi!" and "We have been waiting for three years." "Kill Amrozi! Give us back our peaceful Bali!" Amrozi was the first militant to be arrested, and was nicknamed the "smiling bomber" for his apparent indifference to victims of the attacks. While he, Imam Samudra and Mukhlas have been sentenced to death for their involvement in the attacks, they are still on death row waiting for the end of their appeals process. The crowd called for Amrozi's immediate execution, a demand which our correspondent says would be very hard to achieve under Indonesia's legal system. The mob was also angry that Amrozi and four other men had been moved from Bali on Tuesday to a more secure prison on the island of Nusakambangan, east of Java. "We are angry [Amrozi] has been moved from here," one protester, Endra, told the French news agency AFP. "We feel Amrozi is being protected by the government." A Bali security official was quoted by the Jakarta Post saying that following this transfer, 19 of the 30 men convicted of the 2002 attacks remained on Bali. Wednesday morning began in Bali with a memorial service to the people who died in the attacks exactly three years ago. Relatives and survivors of the bombs gathered at Bali's Ground Zero to commemorate the event in a simple ceremony. They stood in front of the marble memorial to those who died to observe 202 seconds of silence, one for each of the victims of Bali's first bomb attack. Eight-eight of the dead were Australian - and some of those who knew them had made the trip to Bali for the service, where they were joined by Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. Others held separate events in Sydney and Melbourne. Mr Downer said his country was committed to helping Indonesia in its battle against militants. Our enduring friendship, he said, will see the eventual demise of the terrorist menace. The commemorative events were planned long before the second attack on Bali earlier this month. But according to our correspondent, the latest suicide bombings have added another layer of poignancy and grief to the occasion. Posted by: Steve 2005-10-12 |
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