Source: The Age (Melbourne)
JAKARTA, INDONESIA, April 2, 2003: His trial has yet to begin, but a giant effigy of alleged Bali bomber, Amrozi, was facing ritual execution by fire last night on the eve of the Hindu festival of Nyepi. Normally the giant bamboo and papier-mache monster dolls burnt across the Hindu island of Bali represent figures from Balinese and Hindu stories. But the events in Bali on October 12 have provided an addition to the villains in this year’s celebrations, according to I Wayan Suarjaya, the director-general of Hindu and Buddhist affairs in Indonesia’s Department of Religion. This year appeared to be the first time some of the terrifying dolls, called Ogoh-ogoh, were modeled on living people, including Amrozi. Mr. Wayan Suarjaya said he believed the inclusion of Amrozi was “probably because the bomb that rocked Bali has deeply scarred the Balinese.” Although Indonesia is overwhelmingly Muslim, with just 2 per cent of people Hindu, the whole country enjoys Nyepi, as everyone gets a public holiday. But only in Bali will the start of this Hindu new year, called Saka 1925, be celebrated according to the set of austere traditions. On the streets, traditional Balinese security men will ensure nothing disturbs the serenity of Nyepi, when everyone observes a day of silence. Hindus throughout the country are expected to spend the day reviewing their lives and the course of their religion in preparation for a fresh start to the year.