The United States has defended its policy of detaining juveniles in prisons in Iraq, and Afghanistan. The issue is expected to be high on the agenda Thursday when the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child examines U.S. compliance with U.N. rules on dealing with children in armed conflict.
美国为在伊拉克和阿富汗境内关押青少年的政策辩护。预料这个问题在星期四会更加受人瞩目，因为联合国儿童权利委员会星期四将审议美国是否遵守联合国有关武装冲突中如何对待儿童的规定。
In a report submitted to the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child, the United States acknowledges it has detained almost 2,500 youths under the age of 18 since 2002. Almost all have been detained in Iraq under President Bush's anti-terrorism campaign.
在提交给联合国儿童权利委员会的一份包括中，美国承认，自2002年以来，拘押了将近2500名18岁以下的青少年，几乎全部被关押在伊拉克。这些青少年是按照布什总统的反恐政策遭到拘捕的。
Washington says it is holding more than 500 juveniles suspected of being "unlawful enemy combatants" in detention centers in Iraq. Another 10 are being held at the U.S. base at Bagram, Afghanistan.
华盛顿说，500多名青少年因为被怀疑是“非法敌方战斗人员”而被关押在伊拉克拘留中心。另外有10人被拘押在阿富汗巴格兰姆美军基地。
Human Rights groups have criticized the policy, which they say violates an international treaty that deals with the Rights of the Child.
人权团体一直批评美国的这项政策，说这种作法违反了有关儿童权利的国际公约。
Human Rights Researcher for the American Civil Liberties Union, Jennifer Turner, tells VOA, It is difficult to know whether these children are being treated properly or are being mistreated.
美国公民自由联盟的人权研究员特纳说，很难得知这些儿童到底是否受到适当对待，还是遭到虐待。
"In the case of, for instance, one of the prisoners at Guantanamo, Omar Khader, his lawyers and he have alleged that he was subjected to torture and that evidence obtained through torture is being used against him in a trial. We know that according to the United States, 10 children are in prison at Bagram base in Afghanistan, one of the bases which is known for past cases of torture being used against prisoners there. And, we are very concerned that the U.S. is not complying with its obligations to provide rehabilitation and reintegration into society for children in prison," he said.
特纳说：“比如，在关塔那摩湾美国拘留中心的一名青少年卡德尔，他的律师和他本人声称，他曾经遭到酷刑拷打，而在酷刑拷打下所做的口供被用来作为审判他的证据。我们知道，根据美国的记录，有10名儿童被关押在阿富汗巴格兰姆美军基地的监狱，而这个监狱就是因为对囚犯酷刑拷打而遭到批评的监狱之一。此外，我们非常关切美国可能没有遵守国际公约的义务，为在监儿童将来重返社会提供帮助。”
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Issues, Sandra Hodgkinson, says the United States does detain juveniles that are encountered on the battlefield. She says that both removes them from the dangerous effect of combat and at the same time protects American forces and other innocent civilians.
主管囚犯问题的美国国防部副助理部长哈吉金森表示，美国的确关押了在战场上遇到的青少年。她说，这样做，不仅使这些青少年脱离了危险的战斗环境，而且还保护了美国军队和其他无辜平民。
"We go to great lengths when we do detain juveniles to recognize the special needs of the juvenile population and to provide them with a safe environment away from hostilities. In Iraq, for example, we have developed an extensively robust program of a juvenile education center working with the Iraqi government. It is a separate school exclusively for those juveniles who have taken part in hostilities and have been recruited into armed conflict, which is something we very much oppose...We take all measures to encourage as robust a communication with their families as is possible," she said.
哈吉金森说：“我们拘押这些青少年时，注意到了他们的特殊需要，因此给他们提供了避开敌意的安全环境。例如，在伊拉克，我们和伊拉克政府一道，为青少年教育中心开设了一个广泛积极的项目。这是一所单独的学校，专门为那些被招募来从事武装战斗的青少年而设。我们非常反对招募青少年参与武装战斗。我们也采取一切办法来鼓励这些儿童尽可能和他们的家庭沟通。”
Hodgkinson says U.S. policy is not to detain a juvenile for more than a year whenever practicable. She says it is unfortunate that children are sometimes imprisoned. But, she notes these children pose a danger. Some have been involved in planting road bombs and some have been recruited as suicide bombers.
哈吉金森表示，美国的政策是，只要可能，不会将一名青少年拘押超过一年以上。她表示，遗憾的是，青少年有时的确遭到长期关押。但是她也指出，那些青少年具有危险性，其中有些参与埋置路边炸弹，有些被招募来当自杀炸弹杀手。 |