Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I, and also on behalf of Senator Birmingham, move:

That the Senate—

(a) acknowledges:

(i) 12 October 2022 marks 20 years since that terrible night in Kuta, Bali, when 202 innocent lives, including 88 Australians, were lost in the Bali Bombings, and

(ii) this date will be a difficult day for many Australians and Indonesians, as well as people around the world, whose lives were changed forever that night, and who continue to feel the impact of this senseless act;

(b) recognises:

(i) the brave efforts of first responders, whose instinct to run towards danger saved the lives of many, and

(ii) the professionalism of the Australian police, defence, diplomatic and medical staff who responded, alongside their Indonesian counterparts, with extraordinary courage and compassion in the aftermath of the attacks;

(c) notes the strength of our friendship with Indonesia, and the work we continue to do together, including to counter terrorism and violent extremism; and

(d) calls on all Australians to keep those whose lives were lost in our thoughts today, and over the coming weeks, as this sad anniversary is observed.

Can I start by also welcoming His Excellency Dr Siswo Pramono. You are very welcome in this chamber with your colleagues, Excellency, and we are very honoured to have you here today.

On 12 October 2002 terrorists attacked Paddy's Pub and the Sari Club in Kuta, Bali. They killed 202 innocent people, among them 88 Australians, 38 Indonesians and citizens of 20 other countries. Another 209 people were injured, many of them seriously, suffering severe burns and shrapnel injuries. Most of the victims who died were under 40, and nearly half were under 30. They were people of diverse faiths, ethnicities and nationalities from different walks of life: tourists and holidaymakers; teammates from rugby league, AFL and other sporting clubs celebrating or commiserating the season past; groups of friends and colleagues; young couples; and families on an evening out.

The attack was shocking not just because of who it targeted but because of where it happened. It happened on what the former governor of Bali, Made Mangku Pastika, called a small yet peaceful island. Bali has been treasured by generations of Australians. It has been a place that welcomed us, a place of culture and natural beauty, a place to rest and restore, a place of social ritual, memory and meaning. That night, it became a site of pain and of tragedy.

Twenty years on, the pain of that night is still with us and still with so many. We remember the victims: mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and friends cruelly taken from us by an act of cowardice. We know that the survivors, the first responders and their families continue to live with the physical and mental scars. We continue to mourn the loss of the many victims and remember the heroes who risked themselves for others. As the then Governor Pastika said 10 years ago, 'That night we saw that there are angels living around us.' Survivors of the blast helped each other to safety in the face of extreme danger, extending caring compassion to perfect strangers. First responders—among them police, medical staff, embassy and consular officials and brave volunteers—ran towards the blast sites. Many worked throughout the night searching for survivors and administering critical care. Doctors and nurses at hospitals in Bali, Darwin and Perth treated the injured and comforted them through their pain. They showed the best of us. Australians and Indonesians working together.

We know the terrorists sought to divide our two countries and our peoples, to drive a stake into our multifaith and multicultural democracies, and we know they failed. Instead, our two peoples are united. We are bound together in a shared purpose. The spirit of friendship between our people and the cooperation between our two countries has been strengthened. Out of that loss and tragedy came strength and courage, a defiance in the face of terror: a refusal to be intimidated by those who seek to inflict harm on us, and a resolve that we would work together and face future challenges side-by-side.

That sense of cooperation continues to this day across the full breadth of our relationship. Australia and Indonesia are connected in almost every sphere of life: culture, education, trade, commerce and cooperation on many global challenges, including climate change. Together we built the Jakarta Center for Law Enforcement Cooperation, which has trained tens of thousands of police officers and strengthened our ties in so many areas. Its motto, 'Learning and understanding through shared experience', epitomises the approach we take together as partners.

Even when terror struck again, on 1 October 2005, killing 15 Indonesians and four Australians, we didn't lose hope. We redoubled our efforts. We looked for new ways to cooperate and solve our shared challenges. Programs like the Australia-Indonesia Muslim Exchange Program help us learn and understand each other through shared experience; and like the Australia-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program before it, which this year celebrates 40 years. These cultural exchanges showcase the things that make us each unique. Communities in Australia and Indonesia responded to the attacks not by withdrawing in fear or by being divided but by coming together in the pursuit of peace, forging a special connection that extends beyond governments and beyond politics.

Twenty years on, Australians continue to visit Bali, and the Balinese people welcome us again with generosity and with warmth. Before the pandemic, around a million Australians each year visited the beaches of Kuta or Seminyak, relaxed among the hills of Ubud or enjoyed a moment of quiet reflection at Pura Lempuyang. Many of those who were there 20 years ago continue to visit, and some continue to live in Bali.

On 12 October this year we will mark the 20th anniversary of the national memorial service in the Great Hall here in Parliament House and at a service being held at the Australian Consulate-General in Bali. These commemorations will offer an opportunity for all those affected to come together to remember, to honour, to pay tribute and to remember the lives of those lost that night; to stand with the survivors, their relatives and their families and support them at this time; to acknowledge the bravery and selflessness of those who assisted in the response; and to mark the ongoing spirit of friendship and cooperation between the Australian and Indonesian people.

I commend the motion to the Senate.