In a year when the coronavirus has caused multinational war games to be conducted virtually or canceled, the world’s largest international maritime military exercise begins in Hawaii next week. The Rim of the Pacific (Rimpac) war games, which run through the end of August, come as Hawaii struggles to contain community spread of the coronavirus amid what has become the highest reproduction rate in the country. Critics of the exercise have protested against Rimpac for years, citing environmental degradation, increased sexual exploitation during military “liberty” port visits, the unwanted militarization of indigenous land, water, and air, and now fear of increased Covid-19 risk. In March, members of the Cancel Rimpac Coalition wrote: “Bullets and bombs are useless against viruses.” Last week in Honolulu, even as war ships sailed for Hawaii, members of the coalition delivered a petition with over 12,000 signatures calling for Hawaii’s governor, David Ige, to cancel the exercise. After Ige, a consistent Rimpac supporter, requested a delay in April, Rimpac was postponed until August. At the time, many expected the virus would be gone by late summer, but Hawaii’s case number has soared from less than 1,000 in early July to nearly 4,000 in the first half of August. This week, after being criticized for its lack of transparency, US Indo-Pacific Command revealed that military personnel and their families made up 7% of Hawaii’s infections. Coronavirus cases at several facilities inside bases on Hawaii’s most populous island, Oahu, are fueling concerns ahead of Rimpac. Those fears have spread to Thailand, a Rimpac partner, after nine Thai soldiers tested positive for coronavirus upon returning from a three-week joint army training on Oahu in July.

All data is taken from the source: https://www.theguardian.com/
Article Link: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2...


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