No Solace At End Of A Gun

Illawarra Mercury

Monday November 10, 2008

By MARIO CHRISTODOULOU

THE Bali bombers execution by a firing squads has provided little relief for South Coast families who lost loved ones in the bombings six years ago.

Imam Samudra and brothers Amrozi and Mukhlas were executed by separate firing squads just after midnight on Sunday, Indonesian government officials confirmed.

In Ulladulla, Gayle Dunn woke to the news that her son's killers had been shot dead by a firing squad, but the news brought her little comfort.

"Nothing is ever going to bring them back. You are never going to see them grow old," Ms Dunn said.

She said she would have preferred to leave the bombers locked up and believes the real culprits remain free.

"They are the puppets," she said.

"Until we get the masterminds it could happen again - it is only the tip of the iceberg."

In October 2002 her 18-year-old son Craig, flew to Bali with his mates Danny Lewis, 19, and Nigel Devenport, 18, on a surfing holiday.

It was their first overseas trip and on the Saturday night the trio walked to the Sari nightclub.

At 11.05pm, a white Mitsubishi van parked out the front exploded.

The shock wave shattered windows blocks away from the popular Kuta nightspot and left a metre-deep crater.

The attack killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

Nigel survived, but Craig and Danny died in the blast.

Since her son's death, Ms Dunn has channelled her grief into positive community projects.

In March, she was named South Coast Woman of the Year after raising $1.6 million to build the Dunn and Lewis Memorial Youth Centre at Ulladulla.

"There is never closure, because they are never coming home," she said yesterday.

In Wollongong, Georgia Lysaght, who lost her brother Scott in the blast, said the executions of the bombers "doesn't bring any sense of closure or relief".

"The fact they are executed doesn't change the way I feel," she said.

"It is just wasted energy to give them the time of day that they didn't give anyone killed ... It doesn't bring my brother back."

Scott Lysaght, 33, lived in Jakarta and worked as an engineer.

He was visiting Bali to play in a rugby match when the bombs went off.

Ms Lysaght said she hoped people didn't blame the bombings on Asian or Islamic people.

"I have a lot of friends who are Asian and Islamic and it is really difficult for people at these times," she said.

Gayle Dunn is raising funds for a permanent memorial to the victims of the Bali bombers, raising money through the Dunn and Lewis Foundation.

To make a donation or learn more visit www.dunnlewisfoundation.org.au.

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