Sawt Falasteen - Survivors still carry burden as Bali marks 2005 bombings

The 2005 attacks in Bali -- known as the second Bali bombing to distinguish them from the 2002 attack -- killed 20 people and injured more than 100.

"For me, today marks not only 20 years since the 2005 bombing, but also 20 years of living with the impact of terror," survivor Lana Campbell said at a commemoration event at the Australian consulate in Bali. "The events of that night changed my life forever."

She added: "The truth is that the shadow of terror lingers.

"The scars are not only visible in the news headlines of the past, but in the relatives of survivors and families who continue to carry this burden."

The October 1, 2005, suicide bombings -- which claimed the lives of 15 Indonesians, four Australians and one Japanese -- took place in the Jimbaran and Kuta areas of the island.

Australian Consul-General Jo Stevens said the tragedy had deepened ties between the two nations.

"I see every day the depth of our close relationship with Indonesia and the unity of our communities... Indonesia and Australia also came together once again with a determination that terror would not win."

I Gede Agung Teja Bhusana Yadnya, head of Bali's disaster management agency, said the commemoration was a moment to reflect on resilience. "From deep wounds we rise and bring new hope, making Bali not only a beautiful island but also a space for world peace."

The 2005 attack was the second major bombing in Bali, following the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people and injured hundreds.

Both attacks were carried out by the Al-Qaeda-linked group Jemaah Islamiyah.

"Standing here today, I also see something else. Resilience... What endures, even after all these years, is not the terror, but the solidarity and compassion we find in one another," Campbell said.

F.AbuZaid--SF-PST