Pare-Pare readies for planned Habibie visit

PARE-PARE, South Sulawesi (JP): Officials are tightening security in Pare-Pare, following a fire which damaged police headquarters on Sunday, as the city gears up for President B.J. Habibie's planned visit on Aug. 5 and Aug. 6.

Pare-Pare is Habibie's hometown, located about 115 kilometers north of the provincial capital of Ujungpandang.

"We will remain alert and we are not changing our security system even though a fire burned the headquarters," Pare-Pare Police chief Lt. Col. Hendrawan said on Monday.

Hendrawan denied arson was behind the fire.

"(The fire) was purely due to a short circuit," he said, adding that police were investigating the incident.

Flames gutted several rooms in the headquarters at about 11:45 a.m., including Hendrawan's office, the police detective chief's office and the squad room.

No fatalities were reported in the fire.

A few days before the fire, a group called Makasar Muslim Students Solidarity warned officials to be wary of attempts to sabotage the President's visit.

The group issued the warning when they staged a protest in Ujungpandang on Friday.

"We want to remind officials that there are parties who want to tarnish Habibie's image in his hometown," G. Mada, the group's spokesman, told The Jakarta Post. (27/edt)