Six Year Later: The Bali Bombing That Killed 200
Relatives of the Victims, some Survivors Mark the Anniversary
Oct 12, 2008
Six months later the beaches, hotels, and resorts of Bali remained almost empty. Many hotel owners used the time to renovate their facilities. Perhaps as much as a third of the island's substantial tourism-related work force was laid off. Bali was a tourist paradise and tourism in Bali was a $2 billion a year industry before the 2002 bombing. That accounted for half of Indonesia's annual revenue from tourism.
The 2002 bomb destroyed the Sari Club and Paddy's Pub at a time when both were close to full. Those establishments were on the tourist strip in Bali's Kuta Beach district. Several hundred people were injured and the bombing killed 202 victims.
The Work of Islamic Extremists
The Bali attack was carried out by Jemaah Islamiyah, a political organization with ties to al-Qaeda. Three key bombers remaining in custody in Indonesia: Amrozi, Imam Samudra and Ali Ghufron. The Indonesian government has promised to execute them by the end of this year. The bombers show no remorse and have promised that Jemaah Islamiyah will avenge their deaths if they are executed.
Indonesia has seen at least three similar (though smaller) terrorist attacks since the 2002 bombing. The most recent took place in 2005.
Jemaah Islamiyah is still active and its goals are fairly simple. The organization wants to create a kind of pan-Malay Islamic state made up of part or all of five countries -- Thailand (where about 2 million Malays live just north of the Malaysian border), Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Southern Philippines. Islamic movements and independence movements are already active in the countries.
Jemaah Islamiyah made news in Singapore earlier this year when the movement's leader, Mas Selamat Kastari, escaped from a Singapore detention center.
Bali Memorial Ceremony
A memorial ceremony at the Australian Consulate in Bali was attended by over 100 people this year. The ceremony this year included laying flowers for the victims and a prayer service with candles.
Ceremonies in Sydney to mark the tragedy drew large crowds.
Bali Tourism Now
Tourism in Bali has recovered for now from the 2002 bombing. Tourist arrivals reached a new peak in July. Bali's Tourism Authority says that the number of hotel rooms in Bali has increased for 40,000 to 60,000 in the last three years.
The tourism authority says that they expect to break the two million visitors mark for the first time ever this year. Tourism revenue now makes up about 80% of Bali's economy.
