There is a common perception that there is an undeclared war in Brazil that is taking place between the favelas, military police, paramilitary groups and drug traffickers. The situation has been described in comparison to US troops in Afghanistan and to the Brazilian presence in Haiti.
Rio’s diverse terrain and portions of extreme concentrated poverty have contributed to and reinforced these war-like perceptions. The terrain ranges from mountains to jungles which provide a dangerous patrolling environment much like that in Kabul.
Rio is home to around 1,000 favelas, which are generally built on the mountain sides and home to poor migrant workers. Brazil’s conservative middle class has been characterized as criminalizing the poor, and supporting any and all military operations to invade the favelas. The physical wall that has been built around 13 favelas has further segregated them, and was referred to by one professor as “a fascist fence around the poor.”
The favelas are being increasingly inhabited by military bases. General Enzo Martins Peri, a commander of the Brazilian Army, compared the operational base being set up in the Alemao favela Complex in 2010 to the operations taking place in Haiti. The army, which had already previously been involved in police actions, had the support of the State Civil Police in forming a military command center within the Alemao Complex. Army installations were set up and conducted under the same regulations as those in Haiti, with power that not even the police was given.
Like in Haiti, the troops had the right to use force in order to impose peace, often by entering properties without warrants and shooting to kill. The director of the UN Information Center in Brazil explained, “In Haiti, the military can fight back with gunfire, not only as a form of self defense.” In Haiti, the Brazilian military (as part of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti--MINUSTAH) had to clear Haiti’s streets and perform combat engineering, strategies which were originally used in Brazilian favelas.
In November of 2011, special police force and navy commandos invaded Rocinha and Vidigal, two of Rio’s largest favelas. After these security forces invaded the favelas at the crack of dawn, they hoisted the Brazilian flag in them to show that government authority had been restored. One journalist posed the question, “Where have we gone wrong if it is necessary to hoist the Brazilian flag in Brazilian territory, as if this signified the conquest of foreign land?” Military occupations of favelas are treating them as if they are foreign territory.
The media has further reinforced the war with favelas by using war-like language. For example, a hurt man is referred to as “a wounded bandit,” and the people arrested are referred to by their favela nicknames instead of formal names. This language paints a more gang-like picture of all of the favela residents, the majority of whom are not directly involved in the drug trafficking. For example, statistics of the Alemao Complex show that only .05% of the 200,000 inhabitants are actually involved in the trafficking.
SOURCES
Auler, Marcelo, and Tania Monteiro. “Brazil: Army to Be Peacekeepers and Police at Rio De Janeiro.” O Estado De Sao Paulo Digital. Sao Paolo, December 4, 2010.
“Police Wrest Control of Rio’s Largest Favela to Expel Drug Traffickers.” The Daily Star. Beirut, November 14, 2011.
Slater, Russell. “Brazil: Why Raiding Rio’s Favelas Is Not as Good as It Looks.” Brazzil (August 21, 2009).
Toledo, Renato Godoy de, and Claudia Santiago. “Brazil Police Use Press Coverage as Green Light to Kill and Invade Houses in Rio.” Brazzil (November 10, 2009).
Zibechi, Raul. “In Stretch to the Olympics Rio Becomes Lab for Genocide and Social Control.” Brazzil (January 20, 2010).
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Chinese Commentaries on Foreign Affairs (Mar 5- Mar 11)
Chinese Maritime Defense Strategy
March 9, while attending China's Eleventh National People's Congress, the former commander of a naval test base, Major General Cao Dongshen, commented on the issue of China's maritime rights and interests. He believes that china's national sovereignty must be defended at all expenses. With regard to some media's report that the Chinese aircraft carrier Varyag might start its military service this year, Cao said that the carrier is still only used for training and research. He also repeatedly stressed that modern warfare is systematic, where the aircraft carrier is not the determining factor. As for the Chinese navy's ocean escort operations, Cao Dong Shen said that because the situation is not stabilized yet, the convoy will need to continue.
Also responding to the "China Threat Theory" stirred up by China's aircraft carrier, Vice Admiral Wang Dengping recently said in an interview that China will change its defense strategy merely because of the carrier, and it is ungrounded to see China as a threat to others. Regarding the North Sea Fleet's escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali waters, Wang said that this glorious mission is of important responsibility. Wang also emphasized that the training of Chinese navy is consistent with international law and international convention, and is not targeted at any specific country. Therefore, he argued that the outside world should not make unnecessary speculations or fuss about Chinese navy's training and exercises in relevant waters.
Chinese Military Expenditure
As the fuss about the increased Chinese military spending continues, a commentary came out on Global Times this week. The title of this commentary says that China is not as belligerent as Japan, otherwise Asia would not be peaceful as it is today. According to a report produced by a British think tank, Asia's military expenditure could for the first time surpass that of Europe, and that China's defense budget accounts for 30% of Asia's military spending. The Global Times commentary responds that this report is deliberately misleading. First, there no arms race between Asia and Europe. Second, the percentage of China's military spending in Asia is not a result of an arms race in the region either. Instead, this article argues that, what really matters is the difference between China's military spending and the US's military spending. In 2011, China's military spending is about 1/8 of the U.S. military. It is this big difference that will have the most important impacts on Asia's geopolitical and military situation. The increase in China's military spending does not mean that China is belligerent. Rather, it is an insurance for China's future.
Sino-Russia Alliance?
Some Chinese experts believe that as the US shifts its strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific, it is imperative for China and Russia to reinforce and promote the Sino-Russian strategic partnership. Accordingly, China needs to reformulate its "no-alliance" principle to adjust to the changing global power balance.
Sources:
"少将：瓦良格号航母服役后仍用于训练研究" (Major General: Varyag aircraft carrier is still used for training and research)
"海军中将：中国不会因有航母改变现防御战略" (Vice Admiral: China will not change the current defense strategy because of the carrier)
"中将：中国海军要以实际行动来维护海洋权益" (Vice Admiral: Chinese navy needs to take concrete actions to safeguard maritime rights and interests)
"中国不是日本 若涨军费是好战亚洲岂有今天" (China is not as belligerent as Japan and is not a threat to other Asian states)
"中国不能孤独对抗美国 中俄军事结盟势在必行" (China cannot confront the US alone, the U.S. Sino-Russian military alliance is imperative)
Friday, March 9, 2012
Chinese Commentaries on Foreign Affairs (Feb 27- Mar 4)
South China Sea
Major General Luo Yuan, executive director of the China Military Science Society, believes that unexpected events are likely to outbreak in the South China Sea in 2012. According to him, the US has made up its mind to move its military focus to the Asia-Pacific region to contain China, which reflects the residue of the Cold War thinking. Luo considers the US's move as a potential strategic mistake, because the US picked a wrong rival at a wrong time in the wrong place. By wrong time, he means that peace and development are the themes of this era. By wrong place, he means that while there still is threat to US's metropolitan territory and situation in the Middle East is still unstable, it is not a wise choice to move to the Asia-Pacific. By wrong rival, he means that China is an undefeatable and indomitable opponent. In addition, Luo suggests that China should keep a close eye on Japan, since Japan has gradually got rid of its post-war shackles.
In response to U.S. Pacific Command Commander Robert Willard's remarks that China is the only country claiming sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular press conference on the 29th that China does not claim sovereignty over the entire South China Sea. Instead, Hong stated that the core of the South China sea disputes is about the Nansha Islands and the demarcation of part of the South China Sea waters. According to Hong, China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands. Therefore, it is illegal for the Philippines to exploit oil and gas resources around the Nansha Islands with foreign investors.
Diaoyu Islands
In response to Japan's naming of the Diaoyu Islands, China has released standard names and descriptions of the Diaoyu Island and its affiliated isles, according to sources with the State Oceanic Administration. The Diaoyu Island is named as "Diaoyu Island", with its Chinese pronunciation reading "Diao yu Dao". It is described as an island "about 356 kilometers from the city of Wenzhou, 385 kilometers from the city of Fuzhou and 190 kilometers from the city of Keelung." The country has also released names of Diaoyu's 70 affiliated islands, the names in pinyin and description of locations. In the meantime, China demands that Japan immediately cease unilateral survey in disputed waters. Major General Luo Yuan suggests that Coast Guard should be established to cope with the grim situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.
Chinese Military Expenditures
Li Zhaoxing, the spokesman for the National People's Congress, announced on Sunday the overall figure for China's 2012 military spending. China's 2012 defense budget is 670.274 billion yuan, with a 11.2 percent increase compared to the number of budget execution of the previous year. Li stresses that China adheres to a defensive national defense policy, and that Chinese military spending is transparent. China's limited military capabilities is geared at safeguarding national sovereignty and security and territorial integrity. China will not pose a threat to other countries. Responding to the China Threat Theory, some Chinese military officials point out that the increase in Chinese defense budget is consistent with China's overall development, and that Chinese military expenditure is much lower than that of some western countries. Specifically, Major General Luo Yuan states that China might build more aircraft carriers in the future if needed.
Sources:
"罗援：2012年南海很可能爆发一些突发事件" (Unexpected events could outbreak in the South China Sea in 2012)
"外交部：中国并未对整个南海提出主权声索" (Chinese Foreign Ministry: China does not claim sovereignty over the entire South China Sea)
"外交部：菲律宾拉外资开发南沙油气是非法的" (Chinese Foreign Ministry: It is illegal for the Philippines to exploit oil and gas resources around the Nansha Islands with foreign investors)
"中方要求日方立即停止在争议海域单方面调查" (China demands that Japan immediately cease unilateral survey in disputed waters)
"抽日本人耳光 我公布钓鱼岛附属岛屿标准名" (Slapping Japan, China released standard names of the Diaoyu Islands)
"少将：须设海岸警备队应对东海南海严峻形势" (Coast Guard should be established to cope with the grim situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea)
"2012年中国国防费预算6702.74亿 增长11.2%" (China's 2012 defense budget is 670.274 billion yuan)
"李肇星接受英记者采访：涨军费为维护世界和平" (Li Zhaoxing: increased military spending is to safeguard world peace)
"少将谈我未来航母：若有需要多建几艘有可能" (Major General talks about aircraft carrier, might build more if necessary)
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