High security in Bali

POLICE on the Indonesian resort island of Bali said security has been stepped up in tourist areas as the execution of the three Bali bombers appears to be imminent.

Imam Samudra, 38, Mukhlas, 48, and Amrozi, 46, three Muslim militants from the group Jemaah Islamiah, were sentenced to death for their role in bomb attacks on two nightclubs in Kuta in 2002, which killed 202 people including Indonesians and foreign tourists.

On Saturday, the attorney general’s office said that the execution time for the three men, who have been on death row since 2003, was “very close”.

Major hotels in Jakarta already have fairly tight security, and there were few signs of increased security over the weekend.

But security has been increased in some parts of the country, including Bali and parts of the main island of Java, particularly around the prison where the Bali bombers are being held.

“We have increased the security in the main tourist sites like Kuta, Sanur and Nusa Dua,” said Sri Harmiti, spokeswoman for the Bali police, adding that police are carrying out checks of cars and motorbikes, and have stepped up security in the ports.

The bomb blasts dealt a severe blow to the tourist industry of Bali which is predominantly Hindu. Of the 202 people killed in the bombings, 88 were Australians. Jemaah Islamiah, which wanted to create a Southeast Asian caliphate, was responsible for several bomb attacks in Bali as well as the capital, Jakarta.