2006年VOA标准英语-World Bank Warns Arrests of Cambodian Acti

By Kate Woodsome
Phnom Penh
09 January 2006

The World Bank has warned Cambodia that recent arrests of government critics could have a chilling affect on potential foreign investment. But pressure from the international community may hold little weight inside the country.

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World Bank Country Director Ian Porter said Monday that the detention¹ of outspoken² political activists³ sends a worrying message to prospective⁴ investors⁵ and development partners about Cambodia's commitment to transparency and sustainable development.

Three human rights leaders were jailed on defamation⁶ charges last week for allowing a banner critical of Prime Minister Hun Sen's border policy to be hung at a human rights event. A journalist and teacher's union president also were jailed in October for allegedly making defamatory comments related to a new border treaty Mr. Hun Sen signed with Vietnam.

Opponents to the treaty say Mr. Hun Sen gave away or sold land to Vietnam, which he denies. The two countries are historical foes⁷ and since Vietnam occupied Cambodia for a decade after the fall of the Khmer Rouge⁸ government in 1979, many Cambodians have been sensitive about signs of Vietnamese influence over the government.

Porter called Cambodia a country with extensive corruption⁹ and weak accountability. He says greater openness and more vigorous public scrutiny¹⁰, not less, are critical to its development policy.

Ou Virak, spokesman for the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, whose top two leaders are now in jail, says donors¹¹ such as the World Bank want to know how they are spending their money. He called on donors to pressure the government to allow dissent¹² and to become more transparent¹³.

"I want to appeal to all the democratic loving people around the world to make sure to help build a democratic Cambodia, to ensure that we will have the protection of human rights, to ensure that the Cambodian people will receive the benefit of development of true democracy," said Mr. Virak.

The crackdown has virtually decapitated the political opposition¹⁴. A leading opposition politician, Sam Rainsy, fled the country last year fearing arrest. He has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for defaming government leaders. Another lawmaker sits in jail for allegedly creating a shadow army. Now human rights activists, long seen as an unofficial check on government power in Cambodia, find themselves facing arrest.

Despite growth in the garment and tourism sectors¹⁵, Cambodia's economy still relies heavily on international assistance.

The World Bank has provided Cambodia with nearly $600 million in loans and grants and nearly $90 million in trust funds since 1992.

A government spokesman recently said it is more important for the government to focus more on its image among voters in the run-up to national elections than about donors' opinions. He says once the prime minister squashes accusations¹⁶ that he sold Cambodian land to Vietnam, the West will understand why the government had to sue its critics.

1 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

2 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 prospective   

adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的

参考例句：

• The story should act as a warning to other prospective buyers.这篇报道应该对其他潜在的购买者起到警示作用。
• They have all these great activities for prospective freshmen.这会举办各种各样的活动来招待未来的新人。

5 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

6 defamation   

n.诽谤；中伤

参考例句：

• Character defamation can be either oral or written.人格诽谤既可以是口头的也可以是书面的。
• The company sued for defamation.这个公司因受到诽谤而提起诉讼。

7 foes   

敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They steadily pushed their foes before them. 他们不停地追击敌人。
• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。

8 rouge   

n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红

参考例句：

• Women put rouge on their cheeks to make their faces pretty.女人往面颊上涂胭脂，使脸更漂亮。
• She didn't need any powder or lip rouge to make her pretty.她天生漂亮，不需要任何脂粉唇膏打扮自己。

9 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

10 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

11 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

13 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

14 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

15 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。