2006年VOA标准英语-Burma, North Korea to Dominate Southeast Asian

By Heda Bayron
Kuala Lumpur
24 July 2006

Senior officials from ASEAN countries attend a plenary meeting at in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 24, 2006   
  
Burma and North Korea are expected to dominate talks this week as foreign ministers from Southeast Asian nations, and Asian and Western powers begin meetings Tuesday in Malaysia.  

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This is not the first time ASEAN foreign ministers will have to grapple with member Burma's slow pace toward democratic reforms and continued repression¹ of the political opposition².

But ahead of this annual meeting Tuesday, the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations has been very vocal³ in expressing impatience⁴ with Burma's military government. Host Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar has made clear that ASEAN may no longer be able defend Burma if its does not cooperate with ASEAN.

Politics Professor Chayachoke Chulasiriwongs of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand says the rest of ASEAN is also signaling tougher action may be in store.

"Most of the ASEAN members are not too happy about Burma," he said. "One can see that a number of ASEAN leaders have come out saying quite straight forward and try to convince SPDC [Burma's government] that they should do something about human rights abuses, about Aung San Suu Kyi.  "I think this is significant. Even ministers of some other countries that used to support Burmese leaders now have asked that the Burmese leaders do something about it."

Burma's military government, also known as SPDC, proposed a "roadmap" to democracy in 2003, but no time frame was set and little has been achieved.

Some ASEAN officials say the Burma issue is undermining ASEAN's credibility and its relations with Western major trading partners such as the United States and the European Union - countries which want Burma to improve human rights, release detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and allow her National League for Democracy - which won national elections in 1990 - to take power.

ASEAN members, with a tradition of non-interference in each other's internal affairs, have been making the Burma situation an exception.

Noel Morada, a politics professor at the University of the Philippines, says ASEAN is at a crossroads.

"The embarrassment⁵ of Burma's membership without democratic progress taking place would continue to be a major problem for ASEAN's diplomacy⁶ with the West," commented Morada. "But at the same time, I think there's perspective in the region that ASEAN should not be bogged⁷ down by the Burma issue."

Later in the week, ASEAN foreign ministers and their counterparts from Asian and Western powers are expected to focus on regional security issues, including North Korea's nuclear weapons programs.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will attend for the first time the ASEAN Regional Forum⁸ (ARF) Friday.

It will be the first chance for foreign ministers of the six parties to the North Korea nuclear talks - China, Japan, the United States, Russia, North and South Korea - to meet since Pyongyang test launched missiles on July 5. Officials hope this meeting might help defuse current tensions on the Korean Peninsula and convince North Korea to return to the three-year old disarmament negotiations⁹.

Talks have failed to resume since the last round in September when North Korea promised in principle to dismantle¹⁰ its weapons program in exchange for aid.

ASEAN members will also discuss progress toward regional economic integration¹¹ and sign agreements on visa exemption¹², an enhanced U.S.-ASEAN partnership¹³, an anti-terrorism declaration with Canada and an extension on the Treaty of Amity¹⁴ and Cooperation with France.

1 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

2 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。

3 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

4 impatience   

n.不耐烦，急躁

参考例句：

• He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。
• He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

5 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

6 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

7 bogged   

adj.陷于泥沼的v.（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境( bog的过去式和过去分词 )；妨碍，阻碍

参考例句：

• The professor bogged down in the middle of his speech. 教授的演讲只说了一半便讲不下去了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The tractor is bogged down in the mud. 拖拉机陷入了泥沼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

9 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

10 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

11 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

12 exemption   

n.豁免，免税额，免除

参考例句：

• You may be able to apply for exemption from local taxes.你可能符合资格申请免除地方税。
• These goods are subject to exemption from tax.这些货物可以免税。

13 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

14 amity   

n.友好关系

参考例句：

• He lives in amity with his neighbours.他和他的邻居相处得很和睦。
• They parted in amity.他们很友好地分别了。