2006年VOA标准英语-Thousands Rally in Thailand to Support Emb

By Scott Bobb
Bangkok
03 March 2006

In Thailand, an estimated 100,000 people gathered at a mass rally in downtown Bangkok to show support for Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.  The show of support came after a series of demonstrations¹ calling for his resignation. The prime minister says he will not step down, and instead has called snap elections for a new parliament.

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Supporters of PM Thaksin Shinawatra rally in Bangkok, March 3, 2006
  

The crowd of supporters Friday evening waved Thai flags and chanted for the prime minister to fight back against his critics.

Mr. Thaksin told the crowd that, if, in next month's election, the people do not want him, he will step down.

He says that, after the election he will launch political reform, which should take about one year to complete. He adds that, when that process is finished, he will call fresh elections.

Mr. Thaksin's party organized the rally, after weeks of mass demonstrations calling for him to resign because of allegations of corruption² and abuse of office.

The calls intensified³ after his family sold nearly $2 billion worth of stock in the company he founded without paying any taxes.

The tax-free sale was deemed legal, but angered many Thais.

Thaksin Shinawatra , left, receives roses from supporters at national stadium in Bangkok, March 2, 2006   
  
Nevertheless, the prime minister enjoys considerable support among rural people and the poor.

A hotel worker, Khun Tuki, says Mr. Thaksin should stay on, because he has boosted the Thai economy, and has launched many social programs.

"He's smart. We never had a president like this before," she said.  "All the people just talk about it, think it."

Nevertheless, many educated and middle class Thais say the prime minister has used his wealth and three-fourths majority in parliament to undermine independent institutions and muzzle⁴ the news media. University professors and students have launched a petition drive to impeach⁵ him.

Mr. Thaksin, seeking to defuse the situation, last week dissolved parliament and called elections for April 2. 

However, the three main opposition⁶ parties are boycotting⁷ the vote.

Abhisit Vejjajiva talks to reporter after discussing Thailand's political crisis at party headquarters, March 2, 2006   
  
Abhisit Vejjajiva, head of the Democrat⁸ Party, told reporters the election will not be fair because the Thaksin government has undermined the democratic system.

"We are protesting a new form of dictatorship and authoritarianism⁹. We do not want to be part of a process that extends this license¹⁰ to corruption and violation¹¹ of rights," he said.

The opposition wants an appointed government to oversee¹² reforms to the nine-year-old constitution. The opposition is to hold another mass rally Sunday in Bangkok, and says, if the prime minister does not resign by Monday, it will hold more rallies.

The prime minister's supporters say the opposition, in calling for his resignation and refusing to participate in the elections, is acting¹³ outside the constitution.

Positions have hardened in recent days leading to fears of violent confrontations¹⁴ and possible military intervention¹⁵. However, military commanders have pledged to uphold democracy, and urged the demonstrators to remain peaceful.

1 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

2 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。

3 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 muzzle   

n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默

参考例句：

• He placed the muzzle of the pistol between his teeth.他把手枪的枪口放在牙齿中间。
• The President wanted to muzzle the press.总统企图遏制新闻自由。

5 impeach   

v.弹劾；检举

参考例句：

• We must impeach the judge for taking bribes.我们一定要检举法官收受贿赂。
• The committee decided to impeach the President.委员会决定弹劾总统。

6 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。

7 boycotting   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They're boycotting the shop because the people there are on strike. 他们抵制那家商店，因为那里的店员在罢工。
• The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. 主要反对党都抵制此次选举。

8 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

9 authoritarianism   

权力主义，独裁主义

参考例句：

• Modern authoritarianism is a vestige of traditional personal rule. 现代独裁主义则是传统的个人统治的残余。
• In its latter days it was a byword for authoritarianism, incompetence, and corruption. 在后期，它是独裁、无能和腐化的代号。

10 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

11 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

12 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

13 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

14 confrontations   

n.对抗，对抗的事物( confrontation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At times, this potential has escalated into actual confrontations. 有时，这一矛盾升级为实际的对抗。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• These confrontations and uncertainties were bing played out for the first time on a global scale. 所有这一切对抗和不稳定，第一次在全球范围内得到充分的表演。 来自辞典例句

15 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。