O email abaixo foi enviado hoje ao representante da ONU, Sr. Philip Alston, que está no Brasil investigando as denúncias de violação de direitos humanos.
De: Roberto Motta
Enviada em: sexta-feira, 9 de novembro de 2007 00:35
Para: 'urgent-action@ohchr.org'
Assunto: Request for a meeting
Dear Mr. Alston,
I am a Brazilian citizen who has lived most of his life in the city of Rio de Janeiro. As such, I’ve experienced first-hand the growing oppression of drug-related organized crime over the population.
Most of us, residents of Rio, have had our lives touched by crime, in different degrees. I myself have been held up at gunpoint three times. I know people who have been robbed, held up, shot, killed, kidnapped, carjacked, seriously hurt – and so does everyone else in Rio.
Like many of my neighbors, I’ve had enough, and I’m now fighting for my rights – the right to live in peace, the right to drive my kid to school without fear of being shot.
Part of that involves fighting for a better balance between the rights of the law abiding citizens, and the rights of the convicted criminals. The former live in permanent fear; the latter enjoy light sentences, get off after serving one sixth of those sentences, have conjugal visits in prison, get to visit their families on Christmas and children’s day, and enjoy complete and unlimited access to drugs and cell phones, which they use to keep directing their outside business from inside their cells.
If we are going to talk about human rights, then you must know that most of the humans in this city are being denied their most basic right: the freedom to come and go as they please. We live in fear, Mr. Alston. Permanent fear.
We are very hopeful that the involvement of the United Nations will focus this debate, bringing up the real issues and exposing the countless “non-profit” organizations and “social” activists who, in fact, profit very much from permanently blaming the police forces, and from making the defense of irrecoverable criminals their main line of business.
Their one-sided view prevents an honest approach to the problem, and blocks an effective search for solutions. They are the only ones who seem to think that shooting at two gang members, armed with an assault rifle and a pistol and firing at the police (as shown on TV) is a breach of their human rights.
Most of us think otherwise, and we would like a chance to meet with you and elaborate in a little more detail the reasons why.
We hope you have time on your busy schedule to meet with us.
Sincerely,
Roberto Motta
Brazilian citizen
Resident of Rio de Janeiro
Volunteer member of the Security Project of Ipanema
