The recent release of papers related to Brazil's military dictatorship really strikes me as a half-measure:
Bowing to domestic and international pressure, the Brazilian government has begun releasing intelligence files compiled by the former military dictatorship on government opponents, including victims of torture and those who disappeared.
A preliminary list of people whose activities were monitored by military intelligence during the dictatorship, which ruled from 1964 to 1985, has already been made public. As of Jan. 1, those people will be allowed to examine their own files, which are being transferred from military control to the National Archives.
Government officials estimated the files contained more than a million printed pages, plus photographs and films.
The belated release of the documents comes little more than a month after the United Nations Commission on Human Rights issued a draft report urging Brazil to be more assertive in dealing with the dark corners of its recent past.
I'm not alone in my sentiments, either:
Brazilian human rights organizations, however, immediately criticized the breadth of the document release, saying it was timid and incomplete. Only documents up to 1975 are covered, and even for that period, "unrestricted access" is granted only to those with a "direct interest," like a spouse, parent or child.
Even for them, references to third persons are to be deleted so as to "preserve the private life, honor and image" of those parties, according to a government policy statement.
Want to preserve impunity? This is how:
Questioned by reporters, Ms. [Dilma] Rousseff {Lula's chief of staff] said it would be "highly naïve to believe" that any released documents would name those responsible for the jailings, torture and killing of political prisoners.
I will gladly acknowledge that I have nary a shred of proof for this, but I would not be surprised if a situation similar to this was the reason for this approach.
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