Many facets to Benny Moerdani

In the early hours of Sunday, one of the most feared, yet respected sons of the nation left us. Gen. (ret) Leonardus Benjamin "Benny" Moerdani, 71, deserves the praise that has been heaped on him from many quarters. It is not an exaggeration to say that he was probably one of the best soldiers this nation ever had. It is difficult to deny the fact. His military career, spanning almost the whole of his lifetime from the period of freedom-fighting in the 1940s, saw him holding the positions of intelligence chief and military chief when the Indonesian Military (TNI) was known as the Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI).

Once the most powerful general in the country, Benny is being honored with flags flying at half-mast for seven days at all military headquarters throughout the country.

The best soldiers have the most inspirational characteristics. They are true soldiers, genuine, professional and loyal at the same time. All these outstanding traits seemed to come together in the figure that was affectionately called Pak Benny. His friends would undoubtedly quote more pluses, like his extraordinary intellectual capacity, quick wit, intelligent remarks, firmness and, perhaps, sternness. His critics would obviously remember his harshness, toughness and severity in dealing with government opposition during the Soeharto years; perhaps they will add one more: His cruelty.

Benny, the person, exuded an air of respect and fear, firmness and charm at the same time, as if he were the embodiment of two almost opposing traits.

Benny's career coincided with the transformation of a nation from decolonialization to modernity. He had to deal with numerous, delicate issues stemming from the quicksand traps associated with rapid industrialization. At the same time, the communists in Indonesia were severely routed following the 1965 coup blamed on them while, globally, the Cold War was raging. As a soldier, he knew that he had to safeguard the task of turning this colonial backwater into a prosperous nation. As such he had to face myriad issues ranging from defusing confrontation with Malaysia to toning down militant Islam groups, from silencing government critics to crushing criminals.

Benny's intelligence background ran heavy through his military career and it endowed him with much information not available to the public. He had an astute understanding of what was going on in the country -- what threats or dangers were imminent.

During the Soeharto years -- and, sadly, to some extent until today -- one's religion played a vital role in one's life and career. Being a Roman Catholic general who had to silence Muslim militants in a country with the largest Islamic population was a tall order. It was only natural that Benny accumulated foes among Muslims, especially after the 1984 Tanjung Priok massacre in Jakarta when soldiers opened fire on suspected Muslim militants. His name was still mentioned by those protesting the incident quite recently. Trials to investigate the incident have just concluded, but critics say only a few low-ranking military officers were punished.

In 1983 Benny allegedly ordered the street killings of criminals to reduce the crime rate in the country. Five years later, Soeharto wrote in his book Pikiran, Ucapan dan Tindakan Saya (My Thoughts, Sayings and Actions) that Soeharto was the one who gave the order.

There are those who feel that they were victimized by Benny's past action, and rightly so. Many human rights activists perceived Benny as a gross human rights violator after one-third of East Timor's 750,000 people allegedly perished during an Indonesian invasion in the former Portuguese colony in 1975.

A great man is always controversial, and Benny was no exception. When one reflects on his harshness in the past toward those opposing the government, perhaps it is useful to remember that nothing is more inappropriate than to measure events of the past with the yardstick of today.

It is best, perhaps, to take some lessons from his life: Benny provided many. His love and dedication to his nation, for example, is almost unparalleled. It is something in short supply today. Benny was a leader with vision, also a rarity today, who streamlined, restructured and modernized the Indonesian Military. He was a man of principle who often had to suffer for being so.

Benny, perhaps, had a bad record of human rights violations but he also contributed a lot to his nation. He was involved in crushing many Muslim hard-liners, some of them prominent Muslim leaders, but he also parachuted into the dense jungle of Irian Jaya in mid-1960s to liberate it from the Dutch colonial government.

To view Benny from one perspective only is to do him an injustice.