Tragic anniversaries: Another opinion

When I came to Bali in 2003, people were already talking about the Bali Bombing anniversary later in the year, the memorial and what should become of the terror sites themselves. Annual ceremonies to mark the first Bali Bombing, will be joined by others to mark Bali Bomb II. Is this the way we should go about things, or is it time to think about things?

An article in The Age talks about this issue, and suggests tragic memorials are a learned type of behavior not common in many parts of the world. It also says the right to grieve is not public property. I know many people make the pilgrimage to Bali for the bombing anniversary and it means a lot to them. Some of the relatives of the bombing victims have told me it also means a lot to them that the event is recognized and people attend.

For me personally, I’m sad that over 200 innocent people got killed, regardless of what passport they were carrying. I don’t feel the need to mourn fellow British people, that’s for their families to do. I hope the relatives of the victims find relief and assurance in the annual event.