By Tiffanie Turnbull

BBC News, Sydney

 

After the deadly bombings on two Bali nightclubs in 2002, some survivors say they got a "life sentence".

"My life changed forever," Australian man Andrew Csabi told the BBC.

On Wednesday, the man who crafted the bombs that killed Mr Csabi's friends and left him a double amputee was freed from an Indonesian prison.

Indonesia says Umar Patek has been deradicalised, but his parole has sparked anger - particularly in Australia, where 88 victims were from.

Some 202 people from 21 nations were killed in the blasts on 12 October that year. It remains Indonesia's deadliest terror attack.

Patek was accused of being a bombmaker for Jemaah Islamiah (JI) - a group inspired by al-Qaeda - and spent almost a decade on the run.

 

Full article

Related, in a way, I read this story recently, incredible courage and perseverance from one of the bomber's victims - what a man!

 

Bali bombing victim given 5% survival chance now a star on the golf course

Nov 30 2022

 

It is hard not to notice Ben Tullipan on a golf course.

The 46-year-old Aussie walks confidently up to the tee and swings like a seasoned pro. Two artificial legs are the only clue he’s not your average club hacker.

Tullipan sustained horrendous injuries in 2002 in what is now known as the Bali bombings – a terrorist attack on a resort in the Indonesian tourist hotspot that killed 202 people.

Golf has been crucial to his recovery and on Monday and Tuesday he played in the NZ Disability Golf Open at Manor Park Golf Sanctuary in Lower Hutt. [Wellington, New Zealand]

“I was 5 metres away from a car bomb when it went off,” he recalls.

Unable to use his legs, he tried to drag himself out but suffered further injuries from broken bottles and fire.

Doctors told Tullipan he was unlikely to survive but if he did, he would never walk.

As well as both legs, he lost hearing on one side and most of his stomach muscles. More than 60% of his shattered body suffered full thickness burns.

Given a 5% chance of survival he wanted to prove the doctors wrong and show he could lead a normal life.

Once he learned to walk, the former boxer looked for a new sport and when his mates joked he would fall over on his two artificial legs if he tried golf, he rose to the challenge.

Golf had given him many opportunities to meet people and tell his inspiring story, he said.

Now living in Queensland, Tullipan works for Empower Golf running clinics encouraging those with disabilities to take up golf.