Prayers, rituals to mark Bali bombings

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 10/12/2006 8:06 AM

The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

Hundreds of people are expected to attend ceremonies Thursday in observance of the four-year anniversary of the bombings that claimed 202 lives in Kuta, Bali.

Oct. 12 will always be remembered by Indonesians and Australians as the day terrorism came to Bali. Dozens of foreign tourists died in the Saturday night attack, including 88 Australians.

A number of ceremonies will be held Thursday at different locations on the island: Kuta (ground zero), Jimbaran Bay, Garuda Wisnu Kencana cultural center in Jimbaran, and Bajra Sandhi Museum and Public Square in downtown Denpasar.

The Kuta event is being organized by the Bali Journalists Community, along with the Kuta Community. The ceremony, which will begin Wednesday night, aims to promote peace and harmony through the unfurling of a 12-kilometer-long white cloth connecting Kuta and Jimbaran.

During the event, Bali Police will block off Jl. Legian and several other streets in the area, one of the busiest tourist haunts on Bali.

The Australian community on the island will hold a special commemoration at Garuda Wisnu Kencana in Jimbaran, while Balinese will meditate and pray under the Voice of Peace program at Bajra Sandhi in Denpasar on Thursday afternoon.

Bali Police spokesman Sr. Comr. A.S. Reniban told the media around 11,500 police officers would be deployed to secure the events.

Police will also tighten security at several major entry points to Bali, including Ngurah Rai International Airport in Tuban, Gilimanuk Port in West Bali and Padang Bai Port in Karang Asem, east Bali.

""We will intensely monitor the traffic of people coming into the island from these particular entry points,"" Reniban said, adding that he expected all of the events to run smoothly.

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