When will it end?

Bali is the ultimate paradise island, situated between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Equator. With a typical Indonesian landscape comprising of rice paddies, volcanoes, and idyllic villages, Bali is the prized escape zone for those wishing to escape the Jakarta bustle.

Unfortunately, yesterday, Bali once again paid a high price for the perceived western influence and hedonism that its shores are famous for.

As with three years ago, the ultimate tragedy is not the many western lives affected, but rather the majority of those injured or killed are simple Indonesians, trying to make a living in the current devastating Indonesian economic climate.

Bali has been considered a soft target for a number of reasons, primarily the western tourists who visit the island made famous many years ago by Bob Hope & Bing Crosby (who remembers “The Road to Bali” ), secondly, the Balinese are predominantly Hindu unlike the rest of Indonesia’s Islamic population. It has been suggested that the religious persuasion on the Island makes it easier for the bombers to undertake these attacks as it is unlikely that many muslims would die in such an area.

More worrying is a report that police defused a further nine bombs on other beaches as the scale of the terrorists' ambition became clear. The government stated early this morning that there had been credible evidence of potential attacks; however, these were originally thought to have been targets within Jakarta. Reaction to the increase in fuel prices which were effective as of yesterday (October 1st) were also considered as possible factors in the timing of these explosions.

As I sit at home on a peaceful Sunday morning (well it’s peaceful here in my little corner of the capital), I am very much aware of the potential carnage which awaits the unwary in this otherwise beautiful country.

Five years of bomb blasts that have blighted Indonesia

1 October 2005 At least two bombs explode at crowded restaurants on Bali, killing at least 25. Officials blame unnamed terrorists.

9 September 2004 A suicide car bomb outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta kills 11. Six alleged members of the Jemaah Islamiyah terror group have been convicted for the attack.

5 August 2003 A car bomb in Jakarta kills 12 people and wounds 150. Fifteen alleged Jemaah Islamiyah operatives convicted over the blast.

5 December 2002 Bomb explodes outside a McDonald's restaurant on Sulawesi, killing three people. Jemaah Islamiyah-linked militants blamed.

12 October 2002 Two bombs explode on Bali, killing 202 people. Thirty-three alleged Jemaah Islamiyah operatives have been convicted so far.

25 December 2000 Bombs explode at 11 churches across the country, killing 19 people. The attacks have been blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah.

13 September 2000 A car bomb explodes inside the garage of the Jakarta Stock Exchange building, killing 10 people. Perpetrators of the attack unknown.

1 August, 2000 Bomb kills two and seriously injures the Philippine ambassador to Indonesia.

To me, that's eight attacks too many!