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Mourners remember Bali victims
KUTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Pain, sorrow and the anguish of loss washed down on Bali as survivors and hundreds of relatives of those killed marked the one-year anniversary of the nightclub bombings that left 202 people dead. While some made the journey to the tourist island to remember the tragic events of October 12, 2002, some came to say goodbye to their loved ones and some came to vent their anger at the horror of that night one year ago. Ceremonies to commemorate the worst terrorist attack since the September 11 strikes in the U.S. began early Sunday at a spectacular hilltop memorial carved into cliffs and overlooking the Kuta township that was the site of the twin blasts at two popular nightspots. Australian Prime Minister John Howard joined about 1,500 mourners -- mostly from Australia which lost 88 citizens in the bombings, but also from Portugal, South Africa, Brazil, the U.S. and the UK -- at the two-hour long morning service. The names of those killed were read out and survivors lit 22 candles to represent each country that lost nationals in the bombings. "Yours is a loss that can never be recovered," Howard told mourners at the service. "We haven't forgotten you, we never will." "It has taught us a number of things about ourselves, it has taught us about our strengths and it has taught us about the need to cooperate with others in the ongoing fight against the terrible deeds and the terrible hatred that caused so much pain." Hundreds of police guarded the Garuda Wisnu Cultural Park, where the ceremony was held. Howard then visited the site of the bombings in Kuta, laying a wreath at a memorial between the Sari Club and Paddy's Bar in Legian Street. Massive security measures have been put in place for Sunday's services, with nearly half of Bali's 5,000-strong police force on alert. The final vigil will take place at exactly 11:08 p.m. -- one year after the moment the bombs exploded -- when 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 of the blasts. 'We will hunt them'
The attacks -- as well as the August 5 suicide bombing at the J. W. Marriott Hotel in Jakarta that killed 12 people -- have been blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah -- terror network al Qaeda's arm in Southeast Asia. Four key militants involved in the blasts have been arrested and sentenced -- three to death -- while dozens of others have also been convicted. (Key militants) Indonesian Security Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono vowed that his nation would be resolute in its quest to hunt down those responsible. "Many of the terrorists have been caught, put behind bars, put on trial and sentenced by our courts. Some are still on the run, but make no mistake: We will hunt them, we will find them and bring them to justice," he said at the service. "Their brand of evil simply has no place in our society." "They belong in our darkest dungeons, locked away deep beneath our children's playgrounds. History will condemn them forever." Despite a massive security crackdown in Indonesia several key suspects remain at large, leading to warnings from analysts and security experts that it is only a matter of time before the Jemaah Islamiyah group strikes again. There were fresh warnings on Saturday that militants could strike in Indonesia again and had developed new tactics and techniques. Bali Police chief I Made Mangku Pastika said that though Bali was safe, militants were planning more attacks and had built two bombs. (Full story)
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