Benny Moerdani in 'critical condition'
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Former Armed Forces (ABRI) chief Gen. (ret) Leonardus Benyamin "Benny" Moerdani was reported to have gone into a coma on Saturday following a steady deterioration in his health since he was hospitalized early in July.
State Minister for National Development Planning Kwik Kian Gie said after visiting the ailing general in the Intensive Care Unit of the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital in Central Jakarta that Benny was in "a critical condition" after suffering a combination of stroke and other ailments.
"His condition has been deteriorating," Kwik quoted a doctor as saying.
A hospital staffer said former president Soeharto had visited 74-year-old Benny on Friday, when the latter was still conscious.
"Yesterday, he (Benny) could still recognize Pak Harto when he visited him," the staffer said.
Apart from Kwik, a number of prominent figures also visited Benny on Saturday, including President Megawati Soekarnoputri's husband Taufik Kiemas, House of Representatives legislator Panda Nababan, former Navy chief of staff Adm. (ret) M. Arifin, entrepreneur Sofjan Wanandi, former Indonesian ambassador to Australia Sabam Siagian, the publisher of the Kompas daily, Jakob Oetama, Tempo weekly general manager Fikri Jufri, and businessman Des Alwi.
Benny was admitted to the hospital on July 8 following a stroke. He was also suffering from a lung infection, and has been on a respirator since then.
Born in Cepu, Central Java, in 1932, Benny spent most of his military career in combat and intelligence roles. As a major, he was deeply involved in the restoration of ties between Indonesia and Malaysia, which had been severed following the confrontation policy adopted by former president Sukarno in the 1960s.
Known for his dour appearance, Benny rose to international fame when he led an operation to release the passengers of a Garuda Indonesia aircraft held hostage by hijackers in Bangkok in 1981.
His recognition on the international stage was evident when a number of foreign leaders attended the wedding of his only daughter in the early 1990s.
As military chief, Benny was implicated in the bloody Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, shooting incident in 1984, in which dozens of Muslim protesters were killed. In its probe, the National Commission on Human Rights said there were 33 fatalities in the incident, including 14 people whose identities remain unknown.
The case has been heard by the ad hoc human rights tribunal, which gave rise to a public outcry when it acquitted all the high-ranking officers who were charged, but convicted a number of rank-and-file soldiers.