2006年VOA标准英语-Australian Anti-Terror Laws Criticized

By Marlene Smith
Vienna
31 March 2006

A prominent Pakistani human rights activist¹ says Australia's anti-terror legislation is counterproductive and outside the rule of law. Pakistan lawyer Hina Jilani spoke² to Marlene Smith in Vienna at a conference organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

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Hina Jilani (File photo)   
  

Speaking at a two-day conference sponsored by the O.S.C.E., the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Human Rights, Hina Jilani, pointed³ out problems with anti-terror legislation.

In particular, she says, the recent legislation passed in Australia allows for people to be held without charge.

"We do believe that the imperatives⁴ of security are now being met outside the rule of law and outside the norms set by human rights," said Jilani. "This is a dangerous exercise and it's going to be very counterproductive because it is eroding⁵ human rights norms which is the framework within which people's rights have to be protected."

Jilani says some governments have been adopting legislation more for convenience than principle since the terrorist attacks on New York City in 2001 and the London subway last year.

However, Special Representative Jilani says British anti-terror legislation has some built in safeguards for human rights unlike in Australia.

"In Australia a lot of laws have been adopted without there being the protection and safeguard of the human rights act and that is one of the major issues there," added Jilani.

Despite the criticism, Jilani says she recognizes the need for the Australian government to protect its citizens from terror attacks. Australian officials say they are confident the new anti-terror laws comply with international law.

Jilani says human rights defenders⁶ often operate at great risk to their safety and in many parts of the world they can be targets for assassinations⁷, disappearances⁸, illegal arrest, detention⁹ and torture. O.S.C.E. participating states with a bad human rights record include Belarus, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

1 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。

2 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。

3 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

4 imperatives   

n.必要的事( imperative的名词复数 )；祈使语气；必须履行的责任

参考例句：

• Nixon, however, had other imperatives. 但尼克松另有需要。 来自辞典例句
• There could be some cultural imperatives in there somewhere! 在公共传播那里，在某些方面，可能有更迫切的文化需要！ 来自互联网

5 eroding   

侵蚀，腐蚀( erode的现在分词 )； 逐渐毁坏，削弱，损害

参考例句：

• The coast is slowly eroding. 海岸正慢慢地被侵蚀。
• Another new development is eroding the age-old stereotype of the male warrior. 另一个新现象是，久已形成的男人皆武士的形象正逐渐消失。

6 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 assassinations   

n.暗杀( assassination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Most anarchist assassinations were bungled because of haste or spontaneity, in his view. 在他看来，无政府主义者搞的许多刺杀都没成功就是因为匆忙和自发行动。 来自辞典例句
• Assassinations by Israelis of alleged terrorists habitually kill nearby women and children. 在以色列，自称恐怖分子的炸弹自杀者杀害靠近自己的以色列妇女和儿童。 来自互联网

8 disappearances   

n.消失( disappearance的名词复数 )；丢失；失踪；失踪案

参考例句：

• Most disappearances are the result of the terrorist activity. 大多数的失踪案都是恐怖分子造成的。 来自辞典例句
• The espionage, the betrayals, the arrests, the tortures, the executions, the disappearances will never cease. 间谍活动、叛党卖国、逮捕拷打、处决灭迹，这种事情永远不会完。 来自英汉文学

9 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。