FED: Friends defy bombers with breakfast

AAP General News (Australia)
08-03-2009
FED: Friends defy bombers with breakfast

CANBERRA, Aug 3 AAP - Australian ex-pats in Jakarta have held a defiant breakfast tribute
at the JW Marriott hotel, the scene of one of the two Indonesian terrorist blasts last
month.

About 40 people - mostly friends and associates of murdered businessmen Craig Senger,
Nathan Verity and Garth McEvoy - gathered at the hotel to send a message to Indonesian
terrorists.

"(We are) letting people know that we are not scared," salvage diver Nick Day told ABC Radio.

"Screw what you do. We will go on, we will not stop. We will not sit at home. We will
not be afraid. We will go on."

Nine people, including the three Australian victims and two suicide bombers, were killed
in virtual simultaneous explosions at the JW Marriott and the neighbouring Ritz-Carlton
hotels on July 17. The three Australians were at a breakfast meeting at the Marriott when
the bomb went off.

Those attending the morning gathering on Sunday wore red and white ribbons on their
chests to show their determination that life in Indonesia will not change.

Long-time Indonesian resident Steve Barber, who was also in Bali when it was targeted
in 2002 and 2005, knew Senger through his involvement in local football clubs.

"A mate of mine was taken from me a couple of weeks ago and I just came here out of
respect to Craig," he said.

"It has been hard. It has been a tough couple of weeks. But for myself, it is probably
not the first time this has occurred.

"There are a lot of Indonesians who work in hotels such as this one, the Marriott.

They have their lives. They have to get on with our lives too and I think they are really
happy to see us back in their workplace today."

The three victims were farewelled by family and friends in separate memorial services
in Australia last week.

AAP cj/rl/cdh

KEYWORD: INDON BLASTS MEET

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