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Mourners gather for Bali memorial
By CNN's Grant Holloway in Sydney
(CNN) -- Hundreds of mourners have begun arriving in Bali, Indonesia to commemorate the first anniversary of the October 12 nightclub bombings which killed more than 200 people. More than 500 Australians, and possibly as many as 2,000, are expected at a memorial service to be held Sunday, including Prime Minister John Howard. Eighty-eight Australians died in the terror attack. Indonesia will be represented at the Australian service by Security Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, with President Megawati Sukarnoputri not attending out of respect for the beliefs of Bali's predominantly Hindu population. It is not customary for Hindus to commemorate death. The main service will be held outdoors on Sunday morning, followed by ceremonies on Kuta Beach and a procession to the site of the bombings at the Kuta nightclub strip. At exactly one year after the moment the bombs exploded, dignitaries and families of the victims will scatter flowers and observe a moment of silence. A permanent memorial featuring an altar, 22 flags, and a wall of granite and limestone engraved with the 202 victims' names will stand at the site. Security will be extremely tight with at least 5,000 Indonesian police and soldiers standing by following the two-day ASEAN summit in Bali earlier in the week. A deployment of Australian police will also be present and Australian officials are already being used at Denpasar airport to screen arrivals. Howard said earlier this week that the government could not guarantee the safety of Australians attending the service. "There is a risk, but there's also very heavy protection, very heavy security being provided by the Indonesians," Howard told the Nine television network. Fear and sadnessWhile repeating that people should defer non-essential travel to Indonesia, Howard added that it was "important in the nation's grieving process that this memorial service take place." "I think it's imperative that the prime minister go. I know that so many of the relatives of people who died wish to go and to them it's a very important thing personally and that's why I'm going and I'll be there with them." Australians who have already arrived on the tourist island for the memorial have expressed a mixture of sadness and fear. "I'm still pretty scared about the whole thing and what could happen," one Australian mourner told Reuters. "I wasn't actually going to come here at all. We'd cancelled three or four times but I'm actually glad I'm here." Jason McCartney, a former professional Australian rules footballer, was badly burnt in the attacks. He told Reuters he had no second thoughts about coming. "I don't think anything can prepare you for the emotion of Sunday, but I generally love the place and am eager to get back," said McCartney, who still wears protective arm bandages.
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