BALI: A lone surfboard, a can of beer, a packet of Marlboro cigarettes, framed pictures of murdered sons and daughters, stacks of fruit and incense.With these symbolic offerings, grieving foreign and Indonesian families struggling to cope with last month's massive bomb attack on Bali joined hands with thousands of Balinese yesterday to honour those who died.
Grief was etched on almost every face at the elaborate ceremony at the bomb site aimed at ridding the Indonesian island of evil, and succouring those in mourning.
Security was tight. Scores of police and soldiers wielding M-16 rifles stood guard, part of a contingent of about 800 personnel.
Religious differences meant little to the Australian Christian families, the Indonesian Muslims or the Balinese Hindus. A Muslim woman from East Java, her head veiled, clutched a framed picture of her husband. An Australian father wept for his daughter, her image in a framed picture around his neck.
David Dunn travelled from Australia's New South Wales state to pay homage to his son, Craig, who was in the popular Sari Club when a massive car-bomb exploded. His wife, another son and daughter Kylie came with him.
"I miss my brother. He was so fun," said Kylie (10).
In a corner of what was left of the Sari, a young Swedish woman and her German friend lit candles on the ground. "I lost a few friends here. It was gracious of the Balinese to let me pray in here, in my own way," said Swede Lina Ringberg (23).
Police believe a group of Indonesians, mainly militant Muslims, carried out the atrocity.Yesterday's Hindu ceremonies, to coincide with the full moon, end Bali's mourning period.
President Megawati Sukarnoputri was invited to the Bali ceremony but remained in Jakarta.- (Reuters)
A website has been set up devoted to the Bali atrocity at www.balisos.com