2007年VOA标准英语-Ugandan Lawyers, Civic Groups to Challenge Plan

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
23 March 2007

Many people in Uganda are up in arms (very upset) about a government plan approved by the cabinet this week to clear cut about one-third of a national forest reserve for sugar cane¹ growing.  Lawyers and civic² groups say they intend to file legal action to stop the plan from proceeding³. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda

BirdLife International, a conservation group, says the Mabira Forest Reserve is home to more than 300 species of birds.

The 32,000 hectare forest also supports nine species of primate⁴ and serves as a reservoir for many of the region's rivers, providing fresh water to an estimated 1 million people. The forest has been protected since 1932.

Uganda's cabinet this week approved a proposal by President Yoweri Museveni to allocate⁵ more than 7,000 hectares of the forest to Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited, owned by the Mehta Group. The company plans to clear cut the area for sugar plantations⁶.

Presidential spokesman John Nagenda tells VOA that, according to Mr. Museveni, low-income Ugandans will benefit from a decrease in the price of sugar, the project will create many new jobs, and Uganda will be able to export sugar in large quantities, thus bringing in badly needed revenue.

"The rationale is very simple," he said.   "He [Museveni] says we must develop, we must industrialize. Lots and lots of people in the world haven't got forests. There are no forests inside London, there are no forests in New York, and people cleared these things to industrialize and therefore to develop."

But environmentalists and others oppose the government's plan, saying that such large-scale deforestation will harm Uganda.

Many scientists maintain there is a link between deforestation and climate change.

They say forests trap moisture, keep temperatures cool and supply rainfall to the area by creating cloud cover. They also absorb excess carbon dioxide and other harmful gasses linked to global warming.

Many scientists also say that cutting down forests results in less rainfall, decreased lake and river levels and warmer temperatures.

Lawyers and civic groups intend to file legal action against the Ugandan government to try and stop the Mabira deforestation.

The past president of the Uganda Law Society, Moses Adriko, says that many members of parliament are privately⁷ concerned about the plan and that, in his words, there is "a lot of public disquiet⁸" over the issue.

The clear cutting plan still needs to be approved by parliament, but Adriko says he and his colleagues are not confident parliament will stop the plan, as the majority of MPs are from the ruling party.

"It may well go through because there will definitely be intimidation⁹, there will be some blackmail¹⁰, that's what's going to happen," he said.  "We are very apprehensive¹¹, and that's why we are contemplating¹² civil society action as well."

At the end of November, more than 2,000 protesters from Uganda, the United States, Israel and other places signed a petition urging President Museveni not to parcel out land from the Mabira Forest Reserve.

Environmentalists are concerned about the plan's impact on Uganda's environment.

In a previous interview with VOA, Arthur Bainomugisha, research director with the Advocates Coalition¹³ for Development and the Environment, said that forest covered 20 percent of Uganda 40 years ago, and now covers just seven percent.

He said he believes that droughts and power shortages contributed significantly to Uganda's inability to meet its national development objectives in the 2005-2006 fiscal¹⁴ year.

1 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

2 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

3 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

4 primate   

n.灵长类（目）动物，首席主教；adj.首要的

参考例句：

• 14 percent of primate species are highly endangered.14%的灵长类物种处于高度濒危状态。
• The woolly spider monkey is the largest primate in the Americas.绒毛蛛猴是美洲最大的灵长类动物。

5 allocate   

vt.分配，分派；把…拨给；把…划归

参考例句：

• You must allocate the money carefully.你们必须谨慎地分配钱。
• They will allocate fund for housing.他们将拨出经费建房。

6 plantations   

n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园，使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后，那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句

7 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

8 disquiet   

n.担心，焦虑

参考例句：

• The disquiet will boil over in the long run.这种不安情绪终有一天会爆发的。
• Her disquiet made us uneasy too.她的忧虑使我们也很不安。

9 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

10 blackmail   

n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓

参考例句：

• She demanded ＄1000 blackmail from him.她向他敲诈了1000美元。
• The journalist used blackmail to make the lawyer give him the documents.记者讹诈那名律师交给他文件。

11 apprehensive   

adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的

参考例句：

• She was deeply apprehensive about her future.她对未来感到非常担心。
• He was rather apprehensive of failure.他相当害怕失败。

12 contemplating   

深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想

参考例句：

• You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。
• She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。

13 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

14 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。