Twelve years on, Bali bombing continues to haunt victims

Titled “My Story”, the poem told of her life without her beloved father, who was a victim of the first Bali bombing in 2002. 

“Before the commemoration, I told myself to be strong. I had prepared myself to be calm, to hold back my tears, to leave the fear and anger. But, it seems I was unable to do so. When my daughter started reading her poem, I couldn’t help but cry,” Rencini said after the event.

The Bali bombing in 2002 devastated the lives of the 43-year-old mother and her three children. 

Her husband, Ketut Sumarawa, was caught in the explosion as he was driving tourists to Paddy’s Pub in Kuta, which was one of the targets of the attack. 

Rencini and her children are among the families who have never forgotten the pain that struck their hearts after they lost their loved ones during the terrorist attack that killed 202 victims, including many foreigners from 21 countries.

Ni Luh Erniati, the chairwoman of Paguyuban Isana Dewata, a community for the widows, widowers and children of the local victims, said the sad memories recurred in her head every October. 

“I often fail to control my feelings, especially when this month arrives. Sometimes, I can’t deny the sadness that suddenly appears,” said the mother-of-two, who lost her husband Gede Badrawan in the tragedy. 

Erni admitted that even after 12 years, many survivors and the victims’ family members remained traumatised. She said some of her friends still became fearful when they saw smoke or crowds. 

She said the members of her community were now concerned about the emergence of the Islamic State (IS) organisation. 

“We are worried about that [organisation]. That’s why we really hope that the government and people can be more vigilant. We don’t want to see any more victims,” she said. 

In an attempt to cope with the trauma, Isana Dewata held support-group therapy sessions for all its members, including survivors and victims’ families of the second, 2005, Bali bombing. 

Led by psychiatrist Made Nyandra, one of the therapy sessions took place at the White Rose Hotel on Sunday after the commemoration event. 

“We used to conduct routine therapy sessions after the tragedy. We stopped them several years ago, believing that the trauma had gone. However, we have decided to restart them again as we realised that some of us still live with the trauma,” Erni said. 

Nyandra confirmed that a number of survivors suffered from various levels of post-traumatic disorders, which could arise when they were in certain situations that reminded them of the horrible tragedy. 

During the commemoration, Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika urged all survivors and victims’ family members to make peace with their sorrow. 

He said the Bali bombing commemoration did not aim to provoke revenge or anger. “Let us forgive, but not forget. We should not continue to seek revenge, as it will only hurt us longer. I understand that it is difficult to move on,” said the retired three-star police general who led the investigation team into the 2002 bombing.

Pastika said it was important for the police and residents to remain vigilant to avoid any recurrence of the tragedy. 

“At this present moment, Bali is very peaceful. However, it is possible that the things that are happening in the Middle East or elsewhere will inspire some people to commit violence or some such thing here in Bali,” Pastika said. 

During the commemoration, Pastika and dozens of victims and family members laid flowers at the memorial site and prayed together. The event was also attended by a number of officials, including Badung deputy regent Made Sudiana and Australian Consul-General Majell Maree Hind.

Several foreigners who were family or friends of the victims also came to the memorial site to pay respect on Sunday. 

“I always come to Bali every year. One of the purposes is to remember the terrible tragedy. I still miss one of my friends, Wayan Tamba,” an Australian national, Jan Laczynski, said. Laczynski occasionally wiped a tear from his cheeks.