2006年VOA标准英语-Cambodian Leader Drops Defamation Charges

By Claudia Blume
Hong Kong
24 January 2006
 

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen speaks to reporters after casting his vote in the Senate election at a polling station in Khet Kandal  
  
Cambodia's Prime Minister, Hun Sen, has ordered the courts to drop defamation¹ charges against several prominent critics.  Human rights activists³ hope the move will lead to better dialogue with the government.

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Hun Sen's surprise decision on Tuesday came one day after the four activists wrote letters of apology to the prime minister.

Human rights activists Kem Sokha and Pa Nguon Teang, union leader Rong Chhun and journalist Mam Sonando had been detained after criticizing a controversial border pact⁴ with Vietnam, Cambodia's historical enemy.

Several other critics of the government have fled the country to avoid arrest.

Cambodian and international rights groups, as well as several foreign governments, criticized the Cambodian government over the lawsuits⁵, saying they were evidence of a clampdown on dissent⁶.

The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Christopher Hill, on a visit to Cambodia last week, urged the government to withdraw the charges. The four activists were then released on bail⁷, but the prime minister said they would still face trial.

A fifth activist², Yeng Virak, director of the Community Legal Education Center was also released on bail last week but it was not clear whether charges against him had been dropped.

Cambodian human rights groups say they are not sure what caused Tuesday's change of heart. Ou Virak, spokesperson of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, says he welcomes the move. But he remains⁸ cautious.

"It appears to be a positive sign. But you know, in this country, things can turn around and change quickly," said Ou. "We hope it will lead to cooperation between civil society and the government, and we are hoping that this is a positive sign that will lead to a better democratic Cambodia."

Hun Sen said Tuesday he also would ask the courts to drop charges against those critics who have fled abroad, if they too apologize to him.

But a defamation conviction against opposition⁹ leader Sam Rainsy, who fled to France, will not be reviewed. Sam Rainsy received an 18-month jail term in absentia for accusing Hun Sen of trying to kill him in a 1997 grenade attack.

1 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。

2 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

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 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

5 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

6 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。

7 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

9 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。