Bali bombing anniversary: Has justice been done?

One year on, many Balinese are still trying to come to terms with the traumatic events of last October.

Sunday was the first anniversary of the nightclub bombings by Islamic militants which killed 202 people.

Mukhlas, the last of the main suspects tried in connection with the attacks, was sentenced to death last week after Indonesian court judges said the charges against him were "legally and convincingly proven".

Do you think justice has been done?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

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The following comments reflect the balance of views we have received:

There is no justice possible when terrorist, who are seeking what they consider to be martyrdom, are sentenced to death. The authorities have played directly into the hands of the terrorists and have done what the terrorists wanted them to do. Death sentences are not usually considered a severe penalty by extremist terrorists and some of them consider a death sentence a reward, not a punishment.
Robert Morpheal, Canada

The phrases 'Indonesian' and 'Justice' are mutually exclusive. I agree with some commentors here that the root causes of this problem have quite obviously and deliberately been neither addressed, mentioned or discussed. Perhaps our attention should be drawn to the state terrorism Indonesia (with complicity from Western governments) has committed since the 1960s against East Timor, the hundreds of thousands dead here make the Bali bombing seem like something not even worth mentioning. Of course, a hierarchy of moral context is difficult for many to grasp, given that we in the West seem to value Western deaths high above those of Asians or Africans. With regard to the morality of the death penalty, Ghandi said it best: "An eye for an eye and the whole world will be blind."
Tim Onslow, UK

Justice has been done by serving the death penalty, but the unfortunate thing is there will be another, and another bomber(s) to take the place of those who committed that evil crime in Indonesia. There has to be a drastic change in what is going on around the globe so there will never be a repeat of the Bali bombings again.
Jo Edwards, UK

If terrorism suceeds anywhere, it will spread everywhere Nathan, Australia

The terrorists should be treated harshly, no doubt. To justify these atrocities on the need to investiage the "root causes" is shameful. Terrorism, be it in Bali, Jerusalem or New York, is simple pre-meditated mass murder in a war that they have openly declared against the Western world. We either fight to win this war, or we lose, the consequences of which will be horrendous. If terrorism suceeds anywhere, it will spread everywhere.
Nathan, Australia

The death penalty and life imprisonment means nothing to these terrorists. If they are killed, they wouldn't be able to do any more harm to the world. If they are given life imprisonment, innocent people might be kidnapped to be used as hostages as the terrorists would use them as pawns to get the other terrorists released, or there is a risk that they might break out of jail, as has recently happened in the Philippines. In conclusion, the death penalty may not be a deterrance for future terrorists, but it eliminates the risk that these people might be released or escape to do another crime such as this.
Val Tocitu, USA

Since Sept 11th the world has been dancing to Bin Laden and other extremists tune. Invasions of Muslim states on very shaky evidence, unstinting support for Israeli state terrorism, Western countries have curtailed their own civil rights and 'friendly' Muslim countries actions have made their governments even shakier (including Indonesia). Now they plan to execute terrorists who were seeking their own deaths as Martyrs anyway. Regardless of where you stand on the death penalty as a moral issue, using it when you already KNOW it will only encourage more 'martyrs' seems...unwise
Cei, UK

Justice hasn't been done, just because one terrorist has been sentenced to death...Why not show him the victims families and put him in jail so he can live with that, rest of his miserable life...It's much more cruel!
Henrik, Sweden

All martyrs have one thing in common: they're all dead. Religious beliefs notwithstanding, those caught and convicted will no longer be able to plant bombs and murder innocent people. Good for the Indonesian Government for having the courage to tell terrorists that enough is now enough.
Ian, Brit in USA

Maybe it's time the Islamic world made more of a public and vocal stand against these atrocities - that might prevent many impressionable young Muslims from taking this course of action. Neither execution nor detention of these convicted criminals seems to be working.
Giles Clinker, UK

Personally I could not think of anything "legal" to punish the bombers severely enough Poppy Malcolmson, England

My boyfriend and I were lucky enough to be in a taxi on the way back to our hotel when the bomb exploded at the Sari Club. This weekend has brought all the memories of that Saturday night flooding back, remembering the faces of people going into the club, the pictures we saw on Balinese television during the days following the attack and of course the injured being sent home. But worse than that are the feelings of guilt and hatred. Guilt at being luckier than others, being able to fly home to our families uninjured and hatred towards the foul people that carried out the attack and to the Government for not doing more to warn us.

Half of me agrees with the death penalty but half of me can see that it will just build these people up in the eyes of their followers. Personally I could not think of anything "legal" to punish the bombers severely enough but surely an option has to be locking them away for the rest of their lives, with no benefits, no contact from their families or "co-bombers", in complete isolation until they die? As for the British Government, how dare they? How could those warnings have been ignored? I wonder, had Tony Blair or Jack Straw had family travelling to Bali over October 12 2002 would they have told them not to go? My thoughts are with all the families and people still affected by the bomb, hopefully one day the pain will not be so bad.
Poppy Malcolmson, England

Sep 11 terrorist bombing of the WTC earned the US the right of Pre-emption against all terrorist states and camps worldwide. Likewise, Australia has the right to Pre-emption against terrorist camps of the JI in Indonesia and the Abu Sayyab in the Philippines. With or without the Indonesian/Philippine support, Australia should go alone to FLATTEN the terrorist camps and blast the heads off these evil terrorists! Australia should have native `spies' and secret agents of `James Bond' calibre...to scout out terrorist camps in the islands and pre-emption them. To ignore this reality will only bid time for another Bali attack in the soon future!
James Zhang, SINGAPORE

I don't think this will be the last terrorist attack on this scale Jenkolux, France

My sister and her husband left the Sari nightclub just two hours before the main explosion. They were very lucky. Many others were not. I still feel deeply for those who lost loved ones, and for the Balinese people who have had their island tainted by those full of hatred. Unfortunately, I don't think this will be the last terrorist attack on this scale.
Jenkolux, France

Could someone please explain what the Islamic militants think they have achieved? Assuming their grievance is to do with Palestine, wouldn't the Palestinian cause be stronger with the support of Australia, Britain and the West in general? All the bombers have done is to turn potential allies against them.
Bryan, UK

Firstly, my condolences to all who lost loved ones in this dastardly act. Let's remember the victims before we opine about justice being done. Secondly, let's take all these terrorists and extremists, none of whom give a hoot about what is written here, and dump them in a place where they can receive none of the rights and privileges of the civil society that they clearly abhor and want to destroy. Oh, wait, we already have such a place, Guantanamo!
Mark M. Newdick, US/UK

I want to assure people that not all Australians are supportive of the death penalty for the perpetrators. I'm ashamed that the Prime Minister has not taken a principled stand on this issue. The death penalty is something that can be supported or exercised selectively. Either one wholly supports or opposes it. Moreover, it fails to address the root causes of terrorism, and only serves their cause.
Grant Regan, Sydney, Australia

The bombings in Bali were some of the most horrific events ever. 202 wonderfully young innocent people were killed separating friends and families. I wonder if governments and religious leaders have asked what part they played in these events?
Chris, Yorkshire, England

There is nothing that can make good the terrible suffering caused by this tragedy Anna Langley, UK

We can't kill our way to peace. The death penalty no more stops terrorists and murderers than the Bali bombing has stopped us in the West from continuing to want to live in freedom and peace. There is nothing that can make good the terrible suffering caused by this tragedy. If this event and its suffering changes us all, let it be to strengthen our resolve to be bring peace to the world rather than vengeance. We need less hatred in the world, not more.
Anna Langley, UK

Put all the terrorists in an empty building and lock them in. Allow them to know that they are going to be bombed, just don't tell them when. Let them feel the fear that the victims felt.
Shawna, USA

Any penalty is pointless (except for the victims' families). This obviously won't deter future bombers.
Imran, UK

Conviction of those who plant bombs does nothing to sway the conviction of those who see the continuing injustices which drove someone to plant a bomb in the first place. Conviction of a million bombers will have little effect compared with a just solution in Israel-Palestine. The US has the might to solve the problem. Might it use that might before it's too late?
John M, LyneMeads, UK

Those mourning their murder can feel somewhat comforted at this declaration in Indonesia Tony, Australia

Convicted mass murderers pursuing Islamist jihad are now confronted with the decision of the Islamic country in which the crime was perpetrated. That's justice. The lives of 202 innocent people taken by the evil actions of these people cannot be restored, but those mourning their murder can feel somewhat comforted at this declaration in Indonesia. The court decision confirms to the world the Indonesian government's membership of the coalition against terror.
Tony, Australia

In my opinion, justice can never be served here. Executing the perpetrators of this act will make no difference. They probably expected to die one way or another when they decided to get involved in all this. Also, like many have said here, executing them will only make them martyrs - and for every martyr 'created', there are a dozen more willing to take his or her place. Don't execute them however, and it will be thought of by the terrorists as a sign of the authorities' weakness. So either way, it's a win-win situation for the terrorists.
This paradox also comes with another one: terrorism. We all know that to wipe terrorism out, we must start by eliminating its roots. But when you try to tackle the root of the problem, which is poverty and oppression, and it is seen by the terrorists as a neo-colonization attempt. The result? They send suicide bombers against you. Leave them alone and they will claim that you (in other words the free market and the West) are the root of all their problems and suicide bomb you anyway. To the terrorists, everyone (except themselves) is to blame for everything and if you live a modern, wealthy life and go to discos and such, that makes you a legitimate target.
Goh, Malaysia

Executing just one more of the many will not solve the problem and it won't bring back all those who died Raluca, UK (currently in US)

I don't think the death penalty will deter any of these fanatics - after all, suicide bombers know very well that they are going to die and still go ahead with it, hoping only to take as many people as possible along with them. They are bred to kill, brainwashed from a very early age to believe that they are doing it for the right reason. Executing just one more of the many will not solve the problem and it won't bring back all those who died. However, if I had been directly affected, I probably would like to pull the trigger myself.
Raluca, UK (currently in US)

I say let them rot in jail for the rest of their lives. Surrounded by pictures of the people they killed and their families. Don't let them have any visitors. Now that is a fate worse than death.
Kathryn, USA

My brother-in-law Mike Standring was murdered by these terrorists. The death sentence should not be used, these murderers should spend the rest of their lives in an Indonesian jail, where they can rot slowly.
Heather Standring, Channel Isles

Justice will never be served because terrorists truly believe that what they do is right. The death penalty is just for killing 202 innocent people and injuring thousands more.
Jenni Kelly, Australia

The hypocrisy of the Australians digusts me. These first world citizens are always moaning on about human rights, and refuse to execute even the most repugnant of their own folk, such as the bodies in barrels killers, for example. As soon as the perpetrators are Muslims, foreigners etc, the death sentence suddenly becomes quite fitting, it seems.
Another thing which troubles me immensly is the conduct of the Indonesian government and courts system. These men have been sentenced to death according to an anti-terrorism law passed after the fact - a peculiar circumstance I would think, even as a legal layperson. The types of reasoning used to justify these death sentences worries me and makes me wonder where we're all heading. This is not to say however, that I could ever condone what these men did - let's just not be hypocritical about how we deal with it.
M. Dwyer, NL

It does nothing to serve justice John, Canada

The death sentence is the only solution but it does nothing to serve justice. The destruction is done and nothing can undo it. The death penalty may deter others from doing similar things, but 9-11 has shown that some terrorists don't even care about themselves dying let alone others.
John, Canada

Unfortunately killing them will make them make them the martyrs they desire to be. I say let them live in prison and rot away.
Dain, USA

They are men with strong principle but unfortunately committing serious crime against humanity. The death sentence is fair.
Kamarudin, Malaysia

The Death Penalty has two advantages. One, it prevents 'fanatics' such as these from carrying out their crimes again and two it serves as a warning to others who may try and emulate them. What the anti DP brigade can't get a grip on is these people are prepared to die killing you but you are not prepared to kill them to defend yourself. This is what gives them the idea they can beat you because you are weak.
john, France

Death of an individual does not kill the ideal. The reasoning here is that the ideal of the individual that caused this human catastrophe is unjust. If so, we must kill the ideal. And how on earth does one kill an ideal?
John, Canada

Quite a few of the perpetrators wanted to be executed. So how is giving them what they want doing a service to justice?
Chris W, UK

Their deaths won't make us safer but why should they be able to continue to live? Carol Brown, Australia

The death penalty for the Bali bombers is the only option. Nobody should be allowed to live who can so maliciously inflict such terrible death and suffering on another human being. Their deaths won't make us safer but why should they be able to continue to live when they have taken the lives of so many innocent people? They will only be martyrs in the eyes of the stupidly ignorant. These criminals have no fear of death because they think they have murdered with Allah's blessing but when they take their last breath on this earth they will realise that all they were just cold blooded soulless murderers.
Carol Brown, Australia

Justice? How can the death of one killer be justice? Justice would be having Mr. Gufron surrounded by pictures of all of the loved one of the dead. Let him truly begin to see the harm he has caused the families of the victims. He should be forced to live an entire lifetime with the knowledge that there are no gods which condone this senseless murder.
Doug Fisher, USA

It is of no benefit to anyone to execute people who do these things. It might be possible that a petty criminal, who knows he will be executed if he commits a capital offence, will refrain from doing so on that basis. However, people carrying out international terrorism like this are not likely to be deterred, as they are so far above the laws of any country they are in that to them, the possibility of being executed is nothing more than a minor occupational hazard.
Graeme Phillips, Germany/UK

The death penalty was appropriate because these murderers have made it obvious they would kill again if given the chance Jim, NJ, USA

The death penalty was appropriate because these murderers have made it obvious they would kill again if given the chance. They have no respect for human life and therefore deserve no respect themselves.I don't see how locking someone up for life with no chance of parole is any less cruel than killing him anyway.
Jim, NJ, USA

I feel very sad because the root cause of the problem has not been addressed.
Ashri, Malaysia

Praise to the Indonesian Justice system for having given the maximum and appropriate sentence for this crime. To me it shows they can separate religion from law and, for a country with a majority of Muslims, I think this is a great step forward.
Victor D., Thailand

Justice has been done but I cannot help feeling that there are others involved too. Indonesia must continue to look for more suspected terrorists.
Ron, Australia

The penalty under Shariah Law for this type of crime is death, so he and the others shouldn't complain Mohamed Abdullah, Singapore

The penalty under Shariah Law for this type of crime is death, so he and the others shouldn't complain. Let's wait and see how long it takes to actually execute them - the appeal process could take years !!
Mohamed Abdullah, Singapore

Isn't it interesting that Indonesia, a country subjected to US criticism for not confronting terrorist problems, seems to have reached a conclusion of sorts whereas the US leadership has only aggravated Muslims throughout the world and Osama and Saddam are still at large?
Munsel bin Ali, Malaysia

It is about time that actual motives behind such acts are investigated and resolved. Till this is done, more gruesome acts will be carried out and pawns sacrificed to render solace to the families of the ones affected.
Ali Asghar Shabbir, Lahore, Pakistan

Would executing them be any more useful? Steve Politowicz, USA

What a useless sort of madness that bombing was. Would executing them be any more useful? I lost a number of acquaintances in the bombing of the World Trade Center on 9/11, and somehow the "eye for an eye" approach leaves me feeling empty.
Steve Politowicz, USA

Justice will only be done when the perpetrators of this hideous crime are executed.
Joe Smith, Hong Kong

Death by firing squad was too good for them. It doesn't make me feel any different though, because they seem to relish the death penalty a little too much for it to have any deterrent value for any others to change their minds about committing such acts. At least it takes them out of the system permanently.
Jonathan, UK

I'm not entirely sure justice has been done. Having travelled Indonesia before the attacks, I felt definite anti-western sentiment, particularly from younger people. Even though the accused have been sentenced to death or life-long imprisonment, I would most definitely think twice about going back to Indonesia. I was in Kuta for a week or so not long before the attacks and feel extremely lucky to have chosen the right time to go. Until we begin to educate all of our children to tolerate people from different cultures, the world is not going to change.
Lorna, UK

Keeping these people alive only serves to make a living martyr where hostages will be taken to secure their release John, France

It's natural justice. Keeping these people alive only serves to make a living martyr where hostages will be taken to secure their release. The very fact that the people who write here don't approve of the death penalty is taken as weakness by the people who commit these atrocities
John, France

His death penalty will insure that he will never do this type of vicious crime against humanity again. It is a proper sentence.
Don Schirmer, USA

Nothing will bring those people back- but those responsible will never again murder any one. I know when they die- justice will be served, but by a much higher power-God.
Gail, USA

The world united in defeating Fascism. It can do the same against terrorism Igonikon Jack, US

Justice has been served under Indonesian law. But, the world is still unsafe until common sense prevails in the civilized world--a world where innocent people should live freely without fear and threat of indiscriminate act of terror. The world united in defeating Nazism and Fascism. It can do the same against terrorism.
Igonikon Jack, US

All this will do is to make this heinous person a martyr, an example for other extremists to follow. A lifetime incarceration would have dimmed his name from memory.
Helen, Wales, UK

Punishing terrorism with state-sponsored murder doesn't seem right somehow.
Huw Davies, Wales, UK

Despite the crime, the punishment is wrong. I am opposed to the death penalty and his death makes him a martyr. A life sentence, a proper life sentence to death, is in order and if possible he should be extradited to Australia for the duration in an Australian prison.
Jonathan D,

I think the verdicts are as fair as they can be Bob, UK

I think the verdicts are as fair as they can be. I think "Justice" is hard to define when many are affected.
Bob, UK

The death penalty is ALWAYS wrong. And in this case it will only create a new martyr. Fighting violence with violence always generates new violence.
Jan, Belgium

I don't think any sentence passed on the culprits of this atrocity can truly compensate for the loss of loved ones. And I doubt that people going to such lengths, especially suicide bombers, will ever be deterred by such punishment. We really need to stop wasting resources on the pointless bombing of countries and start investing in eliminating the root causes that drive people to such madness.
Aejaz, UK

The death sentences is not going to bring our lost love ones back Surya , Australia

The death sentences is not going to bring our lost love ones back but it has at least brought some relief. They have been punished for their crime against humanities. Surya , Australia

We simply don't have the right to kill someone - no matter what they have done. It's just not our call.
Matt Thornton, Netherlands

Mukhlas' passing will not make anyone safer. He is a foot soldier who has probably already been replaced. The victims' families, friends, and loved ones can best decide whether justice has been served, but it seems that if terrorists welcome death as martyrdom, it might make more sense to imprison them for their natural lives. The wisdom that should come with age might eventually reveal to them the sheer horror of their acts, and such a weight of responsibility will be a more devastating burden than a quick death by firing squad.
Chris, US