Howard says bomb did not drive wedge between Australia and Indonesia

The 2002 Bali bombings stripped away Australians’ sense of innocence and security but failed to drive a wedge between Australia and Indonesia as the terrorists hoped, former prime minister John Howard says.

The Australian prime minister John Howard tours the site of the 2002 bombings in Kuta, Bali, with Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty (left) and Indonesian National Police Chief, General Da'i Bachtiar. Picture: AFP/Dean Lewins

The 2002 Bali bombings stripped away Australians’ sense of innocence and security but failed to drive a wedge between Australia and Indonesia as the terrorists hoped, former prime minister John Howard says.

Mr Howard recalls the news of the October 12 bombings in Kuta hit him like “a thunderbolt” when he was told by a staff member early the next day.

At the time, all he knew was many Australians were involved, and there was “significant loss of life”.

It was only later the nation learned 88 Australians were among the 204 people who died in the attacks on Paddy’s Bar and the Sari Club.

“Any lingering sense that terrorism was something that happened elsewhere was completely blown away by Bali,” Mr Howard told The Australian ahead of the 20th anniversary of the attacks.

The former prime minister, in his third term in office when the bombings occurred, said the attacks in Indonesia’s much-loved holiday playground rocked Australia as if they had occurred on home soil.

“Bali was a place many Australians were familiar with, it was a place many Australians felt very fondly towards. They liked the Balinese people, who were very friendly,” Mr Howard said.

“They were very welcoming. And although it was another country with another culture, another predominant religion, it was very much seen as an almost part of our country, and I think that’s why it had such an impact.

“On top of that, of course, there was the huge loss of life. Outside wartime, it’s hard to think of a single incident which killed people so brutally and in such large numbers.”

Mr Howard said Australia and Indonesia would always have a “challenging relationship” because of the vast differences between the countries in size, ethnicity, culture and religion, but in the days and weeks that followed the attacks, Australian and Indonesian authorities worked closely together on the medical response, the search for the missing and the forensic investigation.

“I have no doubt that those who conspired to bring about this attack hoped it would damage relations between Australia and Indonesia but in a sea of sadness and despair, we were able to draw some comfort from the fact that it didn’t drive us further apart,” Mr Howard said.

“Far from driving a wedge between us, it actually pushed us closer together. And after an understandable interval of time, it did not discourage young Australians from going to Bail.

“It didn’t discourage young Australians from travelling.”

Mr Howard, who had three children in their 20s, said he tried to imagine how devastating the loss would have been for parents who lost children in the attacks.

“I went to Bali within days and spent time with next of kin, with husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, parents, brothers, sisters, and did the very best I could to offer reassurance we would do everything we could to track people down,” he said.

He took then-opposition leader Simon Crean with him to Bali, and included Labor in all relevant briefings by officials.

“This wasn’t a Liberal government responding, it was the Australian government responding, representing the entire Australian community. And I hope I succeeded in doing that because it’s very important at a time like that you do have people feeling that the whole country is united.”

Mr Howard will be among those attending a national memorial service for the victims of the bombings at Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday. A smaller commemorative ceremony will be held at the Australian consulate-general in Bali.