Habibie Love

I found Ikhsan, a driver and tour guide to take me out of Makassar, along the coast and up the mountains to Tana Toraja (land of the Toraja people).
First stop was the port of Pare-Pare, the birthplace of ex President B J Habibie. They love him and his wife Ainun.
Habibie is particularly celebrated as the only President who didn't come from Java. He was not elected but was vice president when Suharto was forced to resign.
After the loss of East Timor he pushed through decentralisation of power to reduce the possibility of other regions wanting independence.
In Pare-Pare there is also s memorial to the 40,000 killed during the War of Independence.Read more