The 2002 bombings of the Sari Club and Paddy’s Bar in Kuta were commemorated by a solemn memorial service held at the Australian consulate in Bali, where families, relatives and friends of some of the victims gathered.

Tearful mourners observed a moment of silence and took turns laying wreaths and bouquets at the base of a wooden memorial cross.

Australia would continue to stand firmly with Indonesia in the struggle  against terrorism, Australian Embassy’s Charge d’Affaires Paul Robilliard said.

“We congratulate the Indonesian government and the police for their success in arresting key members of the terrorist network, including those associated with the July 17 bombing and the Aceh network,” he said in his speech.

Robilliard also quoted former prime minister Kevin Rudd, who said at a ceremony commemorating the fifth anniversary of the bombing, “The immediate shock might have passed, but the pain of loss remains.”

“The anniversary of the attack is an important time to commemorate scores of people who were killed, and to show support for their families and friends. We will continue to respect those who died,” he added.

Australian Lance Larcombe, who said he lost 202 friends in the twin bombings, comes to Bali every October to mark the anniversary.

“I make the journey every year, and I am still sad after eight years,” he said.

Takako Suzuki, who lost her son, Keo Kosuke Suzuki, and her daughter-in-law, Yuka Suzuki, said she still feels sad and angry.

“But [the terrorists] continue to plot and kill people,” she said as she held back her tears.

The bombings, only 13 months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the US,  were the first major attacks in Indonesia, and began to convince Indonesians of the existence of home-grown terrorists, including those willing to become suicide bombers.  

Bali’s economy had barely recovered from the 2002 bomb when in 2005 another twin attack hit tourist sites around Denpasar. Jakarta has been the main target of attacks while the antiterror force under the police, lately also with the help of the military, have hunted suspects in several areas across the country.

While several terrorists have been convicted and executed and several  suspects killed in raids,  one of the remaining issues is the prevention of both fresh recruits into the terrorist network and the return of convicts once they have served their sentences.

In this year’s commemoration a support group announced they planned to build a park and a museum at the ex-Sari Club “to reflect and acknowledge the 2002 attack and all acts of terror worldwide to help build a future by promoting tolerance, understanding and freedom.”

The Bali Peace Park Association, which said it would  create a spiritual garden, also presented a study on the benefits of the proposed project.

The park was expected to increase tourist arrivals, study co-author Putu Rumawan Salain said.

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