Grief, Sorrow and Anger As Relatives Gather in Bali to Remember Bomb Victims

Grief and sorrow, anguish and compassion, anger and defiance. All of these emotions at some point, in some way, marked the first anniversary of the Bali bombing yesterday, as thousands of people took part in a series of contrasting ceremonies on the Indonesian holiday island.

Whether it was at the formal commemoration service organised by the Australian government, or the "paddle for peace" led by several dozen surfers, or the candlelit vigil at the bomb site, survivors, victims' relatives, locals and tourists found their own ways to remember the 202 people who were killed.

The scale of the tragedy was highlighted when it took almost 15 minutes to read out the name of every victim, including 28 Britons, during the commemoration service attended by 1,800 people.

In a day of memorable, emotional speeches, the waste of human life was caught best by the Indonesian security minister, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who said during the service: "They were our sons, our daughters, our fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, our cousins, our best friends and soulmates."

"They were all innocents. They all had happy plans to spend tomorrow under the sun. They all had families to write and come home to."

Mr Yudhoyono also encapsulated many people's feelings towards the perpetrators, 20 of whom have been convicted and three sentenced to death.

"These diabolical men and their brand of evil simply have no place in our society," he said. "They belong to our darkest dungeons, locked away deep beneath our children's playgrounds. History will condemn them forever."

People broke down at different times during the service, held in a natural amphitheatre of limestone escarpments at a cultural park.

For some it was the readings, from a Balinese woman who was badly injured and an Australian man who lost his two daughters.

Others cried when they heard their relative's name, while many shed tears as they laid flowers, photos and messages in a reflecting pool containing 22 candles, one representing each country that lost nationals, to the strains of John Lennon's song Imagine.

The Australian prime minister, John Howard, was clearly nervous as he told the congregation: "Yours is a loss that can never be recovered. We haven't forgotten you. We never will."

Claiming the lives of 88 Australians, the bombing represented Australia's worst peacetime loss of life.

At a private reception after the service, a pre-recorded message of condolence from the Prince of Wales was played.

Sue Cooper, from Densole in Kent, said the Australian leader was unable to contain his emotions at the reception. "He was just sobbing his heart out," she said.

Another Briton, Isabel Martinson, whose brother, Christian Redman, died, said the service was "wonderful" but somewhat formal.

"I'm really glad we had our own British one last night, which was very intimate and moving," she said. That was held in an open hilltop church at sunset, and included time for relatives to pay tribute to their lost loved ones.

A simple monument to the British victims was unveiled at the British honourary consulate in Sanur yesterday by Brian Findley, whose brother Ian was killed in the blast, and Ian Stafford, who had been standing next to Mr Findley when he died.

Speaking at the brief ceremony, Lady Crawley, representing the British government, said the plaque with the 28 victims' names would ensure "they will never ever be forgotten".

"In coming here this weekend, I hope the families will have found a little bit more peace of mind and a little bit more strength," she said.

More Balinese, who are still struggling to resurrect their devastated tourist industry, chose to attend the "paddle for peace" on Kuta beach. As the tropical sun set over the Indian Ocean, some three dozen local and foreign surfers paddled out a few hundred metres and, forming a ring, threw wreaths and Balinese offerings into the waves.

"This is the way we like to remember people," said Ketut Sarwita, a lifeguard on the beach. "We are at one with nature and our friends and families."

The 1,000 people watching on the beach lit candles as darkness descended and created mini-memorials to the individuals they were remembering. Within minutes, the sand was transformed into a carpet of tiny flames and poignant messages.

A few dozen relatives and survivors attended the gathering at the bomb site at 11.08pm, the time of the explosion.

"Many people have told us they would find being here too traumatic, too much to handle," an Australian embassy official said.

After a five-minute silence, a local poet, Cok Savitri, read a lilting prayer in Balinese highlighting the pain and suffering of the past and the hope for the future.

People laid flowers, either in front of the monument, the Sari club or Paddy's bar, all of which have been turned into large shrines to the dead.

"You will always be in our hearts, Rob, and we will always remember you," one young woman muttered after placing a bouquet of hibiscus flowers on the Sari club shrine.

In accordance with Balinese tradition, neither devastated plot will be built on for at least another year, or until it is determined that all the evil spirits have been vanquished.

After the ceremony, hundreds of locals and tourists who had wanted to pay their respects were allowed to approach the site, at which point everyone was given candles and another period of remembrance was held.

"I don't know anyone who died," said Margaret Hall from Portsmouth. "But I wanted to come tonight to show my solidarity with the people who are grieving, and to stand up to the terrorists of this evil act."

Last night, relatives of the 28 British victims of the bombing attended a service at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in central London. The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, joined the 800 in the congregation. Before the service, 202 helium filled balloons - one for every person who died - were released above Trafalgar Square.