Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard Wednesday said she was determined to be in Bali to mark the 10th anniversary of bombings that killed 88 Australians, despite a possible terror threat.
Asked whether she was concerned about travelling to the Indonesian island for Friday’s anniversary, Gillard said: “I do want to be in Bali for the 10-year commemorations.
“Families will be travelling there. It will be a day in which we pay our respects and remember what that moment was like for Australians,” she said.
Indonesia declared its top security alert Wednesday, citing “credible information” of a threat to a ceremony Friday marking the anniversary of the bombings of two Bali nightclubs, which killed 202 people in all.
Gillard is due to give an address to commemorate the 88 Australians, the single largest national group killed in the attacks on the the tourist island’s nightlife strip in Kuta.
Survivors and the families of victims have travelled to Bali from Australia for the commemorations of the bombings, carried out by the Al-Qaeda-linked group Jemaah Islamiyah.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said through a spokesman that Canberra was aware of security risks and was working with Indonesia to ensure “all necessary precautions are taken”.
Australian PM to visit Bali despite terror threat
