By Prasto Wardoyo
SURABAYA, Indonesia (Reuters) -An Indonesian convicted in the deadly 2002 Bali nightclub bombings has launched his own coffee business after being released on parole, and has said he will use some of the earnings to help survivors of the attacks.
Umar Patek, a member of the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group, was jailed for 20 years in 2012 after he was found guilty of making bombs that ripped through two Bali nightclubs, killing 202 people, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians. He was released on parole in 2022 and has apologised to the victims.
Patek’s release sparked anger in Australia and Indonesia.
At the launch of the coffee business on Tuesday, a banner with Patek’s face festooned a cafe in the Indonesian city of Surabaya on Java island. It is owned by dentist David Andreasmito and will use the beans Patek supplies and roasts.
“I was still shell-shocked by the outside world,” Patek said, adding he had trouble finding work after his release and was worried his image would affect the business.
“The stigma of a former terrorism convict made it hard for me to find work,” he said.
Patek said he understood that many people were still angry with him but pleaded to them “not to let that doubt stick”, adding he would give portions of his earnings to survivors.
David said he went into business with Patek because he had apologised and wanted people to give him a second chance.
Since Patek’s release, Indonesian authorities have highlighted him as an example of the deradicalisation efforts launched by the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country to counter a resurgence in Islamic militancy.
Chusnul Chotimah, a survivor of the Bali attacks who is covered in burn scars and says she struggles to pay for life-saving treatments, jostled in front of the crowd to speak to Patek at the launch.
“I used to have grudges against you,” she said. “I forgive you for what you did. I know you’ve changed for the better.”
Chusnul later said she hoped Patek could help out the survivors. “Don’t just say sorry,” she said.
Tumini, another survivor, said in Bali’s capital Denpasar that she is still struggling to pay for her treatment and that government aid should be prioritised for victims still in recovery.
(Additional reporting by Sultan Anshori in Denpasar; Writing by Stanley Widianto)
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