The Australian Prime Minister John Howard today vowed to bring to justice those responsible for the Bali massacre.
In an emotionally-charged sunset service on the island of Bali, Howard pledged the support of the entire Australian nation to friends and relatives of the victims of the bombings in which at least 186 people died and hundreds more were wounded.
"I can say to my Australian countrymen and women that there are 19 and a half million Australians who are trying, however inadequately, to feel for you and to support you at this time of unbearable grief and pain," Howard told the gathering of almost 200 grieving relatives and friends.
"I can on behalf of all the people of Australia declare to you that we will do everything in our power to bring to justice those who were responsible for this foul deed."
Howard arrived on a special flight from Sydney accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson and opposition leader Simon Crean for the service at the entrance to the Australian consulate-general in Denpasar.
Military police with automatic weapons provided tight security at the airport.
Hours earlier, Howard's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer announced that "disturbing new threats" had been received against Australians in Indonesia. He urged them to leave if possible.
The Australian foreign ministry said at least 119 Australians were now feared dead in the nightclub blast.
The service was attended by local Indonesian political and religious leaders and senior Indonesian-based diplomats from Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Howard, clearly emotionally affected by the ceremony said: "As the sun sets over this beautiful island we gather here in sorrow, in anguish, in disbelief and in pain.
"There are no words that I can summon to salve in any way the hurt and the suffering and the pain being felt by so many of my fellow countrymen and women and by so many of the citizens of other nations."
AFP