On October 11, 2002, three bombs were detonated in Bali, Indonesia, in a terrorist attack now known as the 2002 Bali Bombings. One bomb, carried out by a suicide bomber, was detonated inside Paddy’s Bar, while another, more powerful car bomb exploded in front of Sari Club, located near Paddy’s Bar, just seconds later.
These two bombs ultimately killed 202 people from 21 different countries. The largest groups among those killed were Australians, with 88 lives lost, followed by Indonesians with 38 casualties, and British with 28 casualties.
A third bomb was detonated in front of the U.S. Consulate, though thankfully, no one was injured in that attack.
Jemaah Islamiyah, an organisation linked to al-Qaeda, was later identified as the perpetrator of the bombings, and international authorities started arresting terrorists suspected of planning and executing the attacks.
One of the terrorists, known as Umar Patek, was sentenced to 20 years in prison
Among those arrested was Umar Patek, who had evaded capture for 9 years following his involvement in assembling the car bomb that exploded outside the Sari Club. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison but was released in 2022, for good behaviour, after only serving 11 years of that sentence.
Patek was also convicted for his involvement in the 2000 Christmas Eve church bombings in Indonesia that killed 18 people.
“Brewing peace”
Now, just 3 years after his release, Umar Patek is going viral for launching a coffee brand named RAMU Coffee 1966 by Umar Patek, with ‘RAMU’ being his name spelt backwards. It also means “to concoct” in the Indonesian language.
“Once, I concocted bombs, and now I concoct coffee.”
“Now, I am brewing flavours and brewing peace. Before, bitterness used to destroy, now (the) bitterness (of coffee) heals,” Patek said.
According to a report by SCMP, this comes after he had shared his difficulties in finding a job after he was released from prison due to no one wanting to “hire a convicted criminal”. He also told Indonesian media portals of his dream to own a business.
He was later approached by the owner of a popular Indonesian Food and Beverage (F&B) brand to help him launch his coffee brand that he hopes will grow into a national distribution network.
“The equipment I needed to make the coffee was donated to me, and they said they would stock my products in their cafe,”
“I thought it was so humanitarian of them to help me, particularly as the owner of the cafe is not Muslim. I hope that my new business will be a success and I will be able to be independent again,” he added.
Those affected by the 2002 Bali Bombings are sceptical
An Australian woman who lost her son to the bombings said that Patek’s attempt to restart his life has brought back painful memories. Her son was the 29-year-old president of the Coogee Dolphins rugby squad, who was in Bali with his rugby teammates when the bombings happened.
He was among 6 of the rugby Coogee Dolphins rugby players who lost their lives.
“After 23 years, I try to put the memories of the actual bombing from my mind,”
“Has this man repented? Does he still think what he did was morally right? Or has he just served a sentence, then moved on? 202 lives, plus an unborn baby, and survivors still living with the side effects of their injuries. Has he paid for that? Never, if he has no remorse,” she said.
Patek, on the other hand, said that he understands why his deeds are difficult to forgive despite his numerous apologies, both publicly and privately.
“If I apologise, people say that I am pretending and being strategic. If I don’t apologise, people will say I am arrogant and don’t care. So, everything is always wrong,”
“This is not just about coffee. It is about change. It is about me choosing a new life.”
What do you think about this? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
