The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said its focus on the anniversary was honouring the lives of the victims.
- A graphic video of the Bali bombings and of the terrorists who plotted the carnage has caused distress.
- The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said its focus on the anniversary was honouring the lives of the victims.
Australians have expressed shock and distress at the decision to show a graphic video of the Bali bombings and the terrorists who plotted the carnage at a commemorative event in Indonesia.
Hundreds of Australians and Indonesians packed the foreground of Kuta's ground zero monument to mark the anniversary and remember those who died.
At a ceremony just after 11pm local time on Wednesday - scheduled to coincide with the time of the deadly 2002 explosions - a graphic film depicted the nightclub explosions and their gruesome aftermath.
Jan Laczynski was at the event when the video played, and told SBS News he was still in shock.
"A couple of girls in front of us, they ran away, and they were in tears … I myself left after the first two or three minutes of that video … it's not appropriate to do at such a solemn moment like that," he said.
"You would think there would be a moving tribute or minutes of silence or anything, but … I'm still trying to digest what actually happened here.
"We had the prime minister read out a beautiful speech at the memorial, and I was expecting perhaps something similar; I'm still shocked."
Mr Laczynski, who lost five friends in the bombings, said he could not understand the decision to screen the video or show footage of Umar Patek, the man who built the bombs.
"How can they actually do that, how can they even think it might be appropriate?", he said.
Australian Jan Laczynski, who lost friends in the 2002 Bali bomb attack, visited the Bali Bombing Memorial monument to mark the 20th anniversary of the attack. Source: AAP / MADE NAGI/EPA
"The focus should always be on 202 people, including the 88 Australians that never returned home."
The memorial was organised by the Indonesian government and National Police and the video provided by Indonesian counter-terrorism police.
Australian government 'deeply disappointed'
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said its focus on the 20th anniversary was honouring the lives of the victims and the courage and resilience of survivors and their families.
It stressed the Australian government was not involved in organising the event in Bali.
"We are deeply disappointed by the decisions made by the organisers. We will be formally registering our concerns with the Indonesian authorities," a department spokesperson said.
"We understand the distress it has caused and stand ready to offer assistance to any Australians who may need it."
A bevy of high-profile Australian and Indonesian politicians, diplomats, other officials and police all attended commemorative events to hammer home the fight against terrorism.
In a high-powered security operation, a swarm of elite Indonesian Brimob, or Mobile Brigade Corps, police and military forces lined the area and shut off streets leading to the ground zero monument.
High-ranking officials attended along with Australian Federal Police officers.
Militant-turned-police informant and deradicalisation proponent Nasir Abbas, who trained the Bali bombers in making explosives, mingled in the crowd.
Relatives of victims of the 2002 Bali bombings pour flowers into the pond during a commemoration ceremony at the Bali Bombing Monument in Bali, Indonesia, on Wednesday. Source: AAP / PUTU SAYOGA
Among survivors at the ceremony were Balinese burns victims Yayuk and Cusnol, each of whom had spent months in emergency care in Perth attended by respected plastic surgeon Fiona Wood.
Both women had suffered burns to about 70 per cent of their bodies.
