United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is meeting with Burma's top military ruler, General Than Shwe. He is urging the general to release political prisoners, including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
联合国秘书长潘基文正在会见缅甸最高军人统治者丹瑞大将。潘基文敦促丹瑞释放包括昂山素季在内的反对派领袖。
Mr. Ban met Friday with General Than Shwe to push for the release of more than 2,000 political prisoners.
潘基文会见丹瑞将军是为了推动释放两千多名政治犯。
Mr. Ban told journalists before arriving in Burma that he would ask to meet with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and urge General Than Shwe to release her.
潘基文在抵达缅甸前对记者说，他将要求会见反对派领导人昂山素季，并敦促丹瑞释放她。
"This is going to be, I know, a very difficult mission," he said. "I know that to bring changes … we need to do our best."
潘基文说：“我知道，这将是一次非常困难的使命。我知道我们需要竭尽全力才能带来改变。”
In the past two years, Burma's military government has almost doubled the number of people locked up for opposing military rule.
过去两年，缅甸军政府关押的反对军人统治的人士数量几乎增加了一倍。
Benjamin Zawacki, a Burma researcher in Bangkok for Amnesty International, says they face harsh conditions.
扎瓦克奇是大赦国际的一位缅甸研究人员。他说，缅甸政治犯面临严酷的环境。
"For most political prisoners, torture is endemic, the food is below standard and medical care is extraordinarily limited," he said. "There has been, I believe, 41 political prisoners if I'm not mistaken, who have died in the prison system essentially as a result of poor medical conditions, poor medical treatment, etc."
他说：“对多数政治犯来说，酷刑是家常便饭。监狱的食物低于正常标准。医疗保健非常有限。我认为，大概有41名政治犯在狱中死去，原因是医疗条件恶劣。”
Rights groups have warned the U.N. chief's visit could be used by the military as propaganda.
人权组织警告联合国秘书长到访可能被缅甸军方利用，加以宣传。
Zawacki says Burma's military rulers, officially called the State Peace and Development Council, are well-versed in manipulation.
扎瓦克奇说，缅甸军人统治者领导层，称为国家和平发展委员会，它很善于操控局势。
"I think Ban Ki-moon needs to be quite careful in his visit. But, I do think if he focuses on his agenda and sends a very clear signal, then the ball is in the court of the SPDC to respond or not to respond adequately," said Zawacki.
他说：“我认为，潘基文访问过程中需要非常小心。如果他的日程很集中，发出非常明确的信号，那么国家和平发展委员会就需要作出回应，或者作出足够的回应。”
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party won Burma's last elections in 1990. But the military refused them power and has locked the democracy icon in her house for most of the time since.
昂山素季的全国民主联盟在1990年赢得缅甸最后一次选举，但是军队拒绝交出权力，并且在后来大部分时间里把这位民主的偶像软禁在家中。
They are now seeking to put her in jail for up to five years for allowing an uninvited man who snuck into her house to stay without official permission.
现在军队谋求把昂山素季监禁五年，罪名是在未经官方允许的情况下让一名不速之客溜进自己的家中。
On Friday, Aung San Suu Kyi's trial was delayed for a week. It has been internationally condemned as an excuse to keep her locked up through next year's elections.
星期五，对昂山素季的审判推迟了一个星期。这些审判遭到国际的谴责，国际社会认为审判是当局继续关押昂山素季的借口。军政府想把她关到明年大选之后。 |