Date: October 12, 2002
Location: Kuta, Bali
Moment: An international terrorist organization killed 201 people in a senseless attack that decimated Kuta and shocked the economy and culture of Bali. Its affects reverberated around the world.
I first visited Bali in 2008. As I approached the steps of the Bali bombing memorial at the site of the original Paddy’s Pub, I was overwhelmed with sense of anger and sadness. “How could someone do this?” I asked myself in disbelief. I read the names of the victims engraved on a large black stone slab as an elderly Indonesian woman beside me prayed in silence, holding a small photo of a young man. She turned away and hopped on her moped where two young children were waiting. Who was the man in the photo? A husband? A son? I tried to imagine the series of horrific events that took place that night, but I will never quite understand that woman’s anguish.
Today we honor the innocent lives that were tragically lost when a group from the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist organization detonated three bombs in the heart of Kuta’s tourist district, killing 201 people and injuring hundreds more.
The bombings represent not only the largest act of terrorism in Indonesian history, but also one of the largest attacks on a tourist resort. On the night of the attack, three locations were targeted: the Sari nightclub and Paddy’s Bar in Kuta and the American Consulate in Denpasar. There were no victims from the explosion at the American consulate, but the ones in Kuta were absolutely devastating.
Statistics supplied by the Planning Bureau of Badung Regency indicate the victims came from 22 countries, but the brunt of human casualties was endured by Australia, with 88 dead.
2002 Bali bombings casualties by country. Source: Planning Bureau of Badung Regency
Several members of Jemaah Islamiyah were later convicted, and three individuals, Imam Samudra, Amrozi Nurhasyim, and Huda bin Abdul Haq, were executed by firing squad in November of 2008.
Sadly enough, in October of 2005, Bali suffered a second round of attacks when cafes along Jimbaran Bay and Kuta were targeted by bombers, leaving 23 dead including three suicide bombers, most of whom were Indonesian citizens.
The incident was a deplorable act of violence that struck at the very heart of the surfing community. Exotic culture, enchanting rice fields, traditional Hindu temples, and, of course, world-class surf attracts millions of tourists to Bali each year from all corners of the globe. As I sat on those steps of the memorial site, I couldn’t help but feel a strong connection to the victims. They were just like me, adventurous and ambitious travelers, curious about the world and seeking to quench an incessant aspiration to learn and experience new cultures.
Our deepest condolences go out to each and everyone affected by this senseless and disgraceful act of violence. We encourage everyone to take a moment to pay homage to the innocent lives that were lost in the Bali bombings, including the additional attack that occurred in 2005.
