2006年VOA标准英语-Protests Mark Start of Cameroon Gay 'Outin

By Nico Colombant
Abidjan
14 February 2006

Protests have marked the start of a trial in Cameroon, over the outing of alleged¹ homosexuals in local newspapers.

Several thousand members of a youth group calling itself Free Youths gathered at the court in Yaounde Tuesday to denounce homosexuality.

Their president, Rufine Djentchou, told VOA she was trying to get people to sign a petition.

"Our association wants here to make a petition where we have to collect one million signatures and these signatures will prove that all the society of Cameroon are against homosexuals. We will not take a rest in our fight against it," she said.

Journalists were also present to show support for the two publications on trial, L'Anecdote and Nouvelle Afrique. One of them was Franklin Sone.

"If they go to prison, they will not regret it," he said. "Homosexuality, you can see the way the public reacted. About every newspaper that carried the story sold out. It's not to say there were millions of copies like in other parts of the world. But Cameroon is a small country. So if a newspaper can print 15,000, 30,000 copies and sell out, you can imagine that's really a very big issue in the public mind that people responded to it in that way."

More than 300 people were outed in three newspapers, starting with La Meteo in mid-January, for alleged homosexuality, which is a crime in Cameroon. The newspapers also claimed men were using sex with other men to advance their careers.

Defense² lawyer Jacques Amougou tells VOA it is a trial about morals.

He says the trial will be very interesting since it will pit media rights against a government which, he says, seems little inclined to enforce the country's laws.

Those listed include two ministers, prominent businessmen and artists. Only one is suing so far, a top ruling party official, and government minister, Gregoire Owona, in charge of relations with national assemblies.

His lawyers refused to speak on the record. But journalist Jean-Claude Mbede read a letter that Owona wrote to journalists, denying he is gay.

The minister goes on to say it would be against his religion and education.

The communications minister, Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo, who was also on the lists, says the journalists had no sourcing, and that they will not be able to defend their case. Cameroon's official press watchdog group and the government's Cameroon Media Council have also condemned³ the articles on the grounds of insufficient⁴ ethics⁵.

On Cameroon Youth Day last week, long-time President Paul Biya spoke⁶ out against what he called unacceptable reporting of uncontrolled rumors⁷. On the other side of the debate, Cameroon's Roman Catholic bishop⁸ Victor Tonye Bakot condemned homosexuality and criticized Western governments for expanding gay rights.

The trial pitting the government minister against two newspapers resumes next week.

1 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

4 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

5 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。