by Mathias Hariyadi

A minute of silence and wreaths in memory of the 202 dead. The ceremony was attended by the current Australian Prime Minister Gillard and John Howard, Prime Minister at the time. The Indonesian head of the State points out that the massacre failed to create divisions. Controversy over his absence at the commemoration.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - A minute of silence charged with emotion and flowers laid at "ground zero"; thus Indonesia has paid tribute to the victims of the Bali bombing, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the attack that caused 202 deaths, the majority foreign tourists to the island. A delegation composed of representatives from the Australian government and the opposition attended the ceremony, led by the current Prime Minister Julia Gillard and former Prime Minister John Howard, chief executive at the time of the attack. Bound to raise political controversy on the other hand, was the absence of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who failed to show at the appointment at Legian Beach - Denpasar, the capital of Bali - delegating in his stead Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa .

In recent days, the head of state entrusted his own personal memories of the massacre to the columns of the Sydney Morning Herald.  The victims of Bali were mostly Australian tourists (in the photo, the embrace between two survivors). Yudhoyono said that the attack failed in its goal of creating division, instead strengthening cooperation and inter-religious dialogue in Indonesia. "Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Buddhists - writes the president - strongly condemned the attack and repudiated those who abuse religion for violent acts."

Meanwhile his absence at the ceremony scheduled for today is bound to raise controversy. A severe episode, according to critics, also by virtue of the fact that he was a prominent member of the Ministry for the political, legal and security affairs in 2002, at the time of the attack, and in charge of counterterrorism. In recent days several alarms had been launched of possible attacks by Islamic extremists targeting the many dignitaries present. For this reason the government has set up a massive security apparatus, consisting of thousands of undercover agents and Special Forces, including a sniper team deployed at key points in the area of the celebrations.

Amrozi, Imam Samudra and Ali Gufron were executed for their involvement in the Bali bombings of 2002 (see AsiaNews 10/11/2008 Bali bombers executed. Harsh reactions from Islamic militants), believed to be the perpetrators of the attack. About a year later, in September 2009, in a firefight with Special Forces Noordin Moh. Top was killed (see AsiaNews 17/09/2009 Jakarta, head of al Qaeda in Southeast Asia is dead), considered the mastermind of the carnage along with Azahari, who was also killed in a raid by the police. Investigators have succeeded in demonstrating the link between the attack and Abu Bakar Baasyr, leader of the radical Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), sentenced to 15 years in prison for complicity with religiously motivated terrorism (see AsiaNews 08/10 / 2012 Abu Bakar Baasyir moved to Indonesia's "Guantanamo").

In October 2005, Bali was the scene of another bloody attack, by a lone suicide bomber who  detonated a homemade bomb in a crowded nightclub, killing at least 22 people, injuring dozens. Meanwhile, the island is preparing to host the Asian Games, to be held October 18 to 26, about 3 thousand athletes - Indonesians and foreigners - will compete in the competetion. In 2013, it will host the annual APEC summit, a forum for the Asia-Pacific cooperation.

 

 

• INDONESIA
• -
• AUSTRALIA
• bali
• bombings
• yudhoyono
• al
• qaeda
• islamic
• extremists