Australian PM visits Bali bombings 'ground zero'
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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (right) and Bali governor Made Mangku Pastika (left) visit the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (right) speaks with Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, as they look at pictures of victims of the 2002 Bali bomb attack, during a commemoration service for the 10th anniversary of the Bali bombing in Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) cultural park in Jimbaran, Bali on Oct 12, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Armed police secure the site of the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. ahead of a visit by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. -- PHOTO: AFP
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A plain clothes security guard secures the site of the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (left) meets an Australian citizen during a visit to the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Two women comfort each other as they wait for the arrival of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard during her visit to the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (right) waves to tourists after she visited the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard talks to media after she paid respects to victims of the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, at the Bali Memorial Monument in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia, on Saturday, Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (right) kisses Korean veteran Ray Briggs after she visited the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (second, left) stands with Bali governor Made Mangku Pastika (right) as they visit the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard talks with Ms Fiona Ross, a sister of David Ross, who was killed during the 2002 Bali bomb blast in front of Sari Club, in Kuta, Bali resort island, on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (centre, right) chats with Bali governor Made Mangku Pastika (centre, left) during a visit to the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (right) and Bali governor Made Mangku Pastika (left) visit the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (right) speaks with Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, as they look at pictures of victims of the 2002 Bali bomb attack, during a commemoration service for the 10th anniversary of the Bali bombing in Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) cultural park in Jimbaran, Bali on Oct 12, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Armed police secure the site of the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. ahead of a visit by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. -- PHOTO: AFP
A plain clothes security guard secures the site of the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (left) meets an Australian citizen during a visit to the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Two women comfort each other as they wait for the arrival of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard during her visit to the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (right) waves to tourists after she visited the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard talks to media after she paid respects to victims of the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, at the Bali Memorial Monument in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia, on Saturday, Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (right) kisses Korean veteran Ray Briggs after she visited the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (second, left) stands with Bali governor Made Mangku Pastika (right) as they visit the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard talks with Ms Fiona Ross, a sister of David Ross, who was killed during the 2002 Bali bomb blast in front of Sari Club, in Kuta, Bali resort island, on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (centre, right) chats with Bali governor Made Mangku Pastika (centre, left) during a visit to the 2002 Bali bombings memorial monument in the Kuta tourist area near Denpasar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct 13, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
KUTA (AFP) - Australia's prime minister, Ms Julia Gillard, paid her respects on Saturday to the 202 people who perished a decade ago in the Bali nightclub bombings, visiting a commemorative stone monument on the resort island now covered in flowers, flags and victims' photos.
Friends and families of the dead - many from Australia, which lost 88 citizens in the blasts - have for the past week left tokens of their grief, some breaking down in tears, others looking for closure to an event that changed their lives.
"This has been a very emotional 24 hours in Bali," Ms Gillard told reporters after visiting the monument, which stands across from the old Sari Club that Islamists attacked, together with Paddy's Bar, on October 12, 2002, bringing carnage to Kuta's party strip.
"This is time for us to mark a nation-changing event," she said.
