The relatives of the dead expressed shock and anger after a graphic film showing the Bali bombings was played at an event in Indonesia to commemorate 20 years of the attack.
Hundreds of people had gathered at the island’s Kuta ground zero monument to remember the 202 people, including 88 Australians and seven Americans, killed in the attack on 12 October 2002.
Three bombs were detonated in Bali, two in popular nightclubs – the Sari Club and Paddy’s Bar – and one in front of the US consulate.
A 10-minute graphic film, depicting the moment the first bomb was detonated at the Sari club, was screened at the ceremony, upsetting mourners.
At 11.05pm local time on Wednesday, the exact time of the attack, the screen showed videos of terrorist bombings and victims screaming for help.
People gathered at the memorial said they were shocked and felt “sick” by the Indonesian government’s decision to play the footage.
Those present at the event claimed the documentary had footage of the perpetrators of the crime, including convicted bomb-maker Umar Patek.
Patek, a member of the al-Qaeda-linked militant group Jemaah Islamiyah, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2012, but is being considered for early release on parole.
The Australian government said it was “deeply disappointed” and would formally register its concerns with the Indonesian government.
“The Australian government wasn’t involved in organising the evening event in Bali. We are deeply disappointed by the decisions made by the organisers. We will be formally registering our concerns with the Indonesian authorities,” Canberra said in a statement.
“We understand the distress it has caused and stand ready to offer assistance to any Australians who may need it.”
Jeff Marshall, son of Bob Marshall who died in the Sari Club blast, said he was stunned and saddened by the decision to screen the gruesome video.
“They put up a video of the bombings, all the carnage, which just ripped our hearts apart, seeing it all again,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Jan Laczynski, who lost five friends in the attack, said they were expecting a minute’s silence but authorities screened the footage instead.
“A couple of girls in front of us, they ran away, and they were in tears … I myself left after the first two or three minutes of that video … it’s not appropriate to do at such a solemn moment like that,” Mr Laczynski told SBS News.
“You would think there would be a moving tribute or minutes of silence or anything, but … I’m still trying to digest what actually happened here.”
Mr Laczynski said he was baffled by the decision to show Patek on the screen. “It was just inhumane to do that last night; it was bizarre, it was macabre, it looks scary at times, so what was the motivation to do that?”
The footage was reportedly provided by Indonesian counter-terrorism police.
