Alleged Bali bomber Umar Patek has been seen on Indonesian television sharing jokes with officials as he re-enacts his exit from the country after the bombings.Today is the ninth anniversary of the bombings, and the appearance of the video has sparked many sad and bitter memories of this day in 2002.
Patek, who fled Indonesia soon after the attacks, was recently arrested in Pakistan, in the same town where Osama bin Laden was killed by US special forces.
The video shows a bearded Patek wearing a large white skull cap and an orange jump suit as he re-enacts entering Jakarta airport. He can be seen sharing the odd joke with officials and smiling for the cameras.
His wife Rokiah is cloaked in black from head to foot, following behind him just as she did when the two fled the country on false passports in the wake of the Bali bombings.
Coinciding with the anniversary of the bombings, it is a bizarre sight at odds with the ugly memories of the crime.For survivor Phil Britten, the video brings back memories of previous trials when the likes of Amrozi mugged for the cameras.
"I think that's been quite similar to the smiling assassin. The grinning, the non-remorse, that people show just shows that lack of care for humanity I believe," he said.
Mr Britten lost seven of his football team-mates in the attack on the Sari Club. His struggle to recover from his own horrible burns was followed by many Australians.
He found viewing Patek's re-enactment this week disconcerting.
"It's hard to look back at another face that's connected to the bombing I suppose. It's hard to connect that all together, especially being the ninth anniversary of the Bali bombings," he said.
In those nine years, Patek has travelled to the Philippines, back to Indonesia and on to Pakistan, where he was captured in the town of Abbottabad early this year.
Indonesian authorities are anxiously trying to build a watertight case against Patek. When he was brought back to Jakarta in August, officials said he had already confessed to his role.But now an Indonesian newspaper claims to have interviewed him and quotes him saying that while he knew about the bombing in advance, he had tried to convince the other members of the terror cell not to go ahead with it.
The report has been flatly denied by Petrus Golose, the senior officer in charge of the investigation. He told the ABC that as late as yesterday, Patek had reaffirmed his guilt.
But intrigue about the case risks boosting Patek's status as a jihadi folk hero among a significant minority of Indonesians.
As he left Jakarta airport on Monday, Patek appeared in good spirits, telling a bystander he was "well, thanks to God".
A ceremony to commemorate the victims will be held at the Australian consulate in Bali later today.
Patek, who fled Indonesia soon after the attacks, was recently arrested in Pakistan, in the same town where Osama bin Laden was killed by US special forces.
The video shows a bearded Patek wearing a large white skull cap and an orange jump suit as he re-enacts entering Jakarta airport. He can be seen sharing the odd joke with officials and smiling for the cameras.
His wife Rokiah is cloaked in black from head to foot, following behind him just as she did when the two fled the country on false passports in the wake of the Bali bombings.
Coinciding with the anniversary of the bombings, it is a bizarre sight at odds with the ugly memories of the crime.For survivor Phil Britten, the video brings back memories of previous trials when the likes of Amrozi mugged for the cameras.
"I think that's been quite similar to the smiling assassin. The grinning, the non-remorse, that people show just shows that lack of care for humanity I believe," he said.
Mr Britten lost seven of his football team-mates in the attack on the Sari Club. His struggle to recover from his own horrible burns was followed by many Australians.
He found viewing Patek's re-enactment this week disconcerting.
"It's hard to look back at another face that's connected to the bombing I suppose. It's hard to connect that all together, especially being the ninth anniversary of the Bali bombings," he said.
In those nine years, Patek has travelled to the Philippines, back to Indonesia and on to Pakistan, where he was captured in the town of Abbottabad early this year.
Indonesian authorities are anxiously trying to build a watertight case against Patek. When he was brought back to Jakarta in August, officials said he had already confessed to his role.But now an Indonesian newspaper claims to have interviewed him and quotes him saying that while he knew about the bombing in advance, he had tried to convince the other members of the terror cell not to go ahead with it.
The report has been flatly denied by Petrus Golose, the senior officer in charge of the investigation. He told the ABC that as late as yesterday, Patek had reaffirmed his guilt.
But intrigue about the case risks boosting Patek's status as a jihadi folk hero among a significant minority of Indonesians.
As he left Jakarta airport on Monday, Patek appeared in good spirits, telling a bystander he was "well, thanks to God".
A ceremony to commemorate the victims will be held at the Australian consulate in Bali later today.
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