2007年VOA标准英语-Six Thais Charged After Violent Anti-Coup Prote

By Roger Wilkison
Bangkok
23 July 2007

Thai police have arrested and charged six people following a protest against last year's military coup¹ that turned violent Sunday night, and they say more arrests are likely. From Bangkok, Roger Wilkison reports more than 100 people - policemen and protesters alike - were injured in clashes between the demonstrators and security forces.

ousted2 PM Thaksin Shinawatra listen to speeches of organizers during a rally after they clashed with police at the Royal Ground in Bangkok 23 July 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070725/0835090.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Anti-coup protesters and supporters of ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra listen to speeches of organizers during a rally after they clashed with police at the Royal Ground in Bangkok, 23 July 2007

It was the first violent protest against the coup that last September overthrew³ then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whom the military accused of corruption⁴ and abuse of power.

The protesters initially⁵ gathered on the parade ground in front of the royal palace.  They were stirred up by orators⁶ demanding a return to democracy and the resignation of retired⁷ General Prem Tinsulanonda, a former prime minister who is now the top adviser⁸ to Thailand's king.  Thaksin supporters and pro-democracy activists⁹ accuse the octogenarian Mr. Prem of masterminding last year's coup.

About 5,000 demonstrators marched to Mr. Prem's home in a usually quiet area of government offices, where they encountered a police blockade.  As officers dressed in riot gear tried to disperse¹⁰ the crowd, the protesters began throwing rocks, water bottles and other objects at them.  The police then charged the demonstrators, firing pepper spray.  That set off street fighting and chases throughout the area.

Thais gather for an anti-coup government rally in Bangkok, 22 July 2007

The demonstrators - mostly pro-Thaksin elements but also including pro-democracy activists and disaffected¹¹ students - vowed¹² to mount further demonstrations¹³ to demand Mr. Prem's resignation as head of the royal Privy¹⁴ Council.  But the authorities say that from now on, such demonstrations will not be allowed to move around the city, and must stay at the royal palace parade ground.

Some Thais, like this man who witnessed the clashes outside Mr. Prem's home, say the government needs to crack down on violent demonstrators.

He says preventive measures like those announced on Monday will not work because the mob "will just continue to resort to violence."

But General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the head of the army and of the junta¹⁵ that now runs the country, says the situation is under control and there is no need to take stronger measures like imposing¹⁶ a state of emergency.

The six people under arrest have been charged with causing chaos¹⁷, obstructing¹⁸ the work of authorities and damaging state property.  Warrants have been issued for the arrest of at least eight other people involved in the protest.

Thailand is gearing up for a referendum on August 19 to vote yes or no on a new constitution drawn¹⁹ up by a military-appointed drafting committee.  A general election is expected in either November or December.

1 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

2 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

3 overthrew   

overthrow的过去式

参考例句：

• The people finally rose up and overthrew the reactionary regime. 人们终于起来把反动的政权推翻了。
• They overthrew their King. 他们推翻了国王。

4 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。

5 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

6 orators   

n.演说者，演讲家( orator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The hired orators continued to pour forth their streams of eloquence. 那些雇来的演说家继续滔滔不绝地施展辩才。 来自辞典例句
• Their ears are too full of bugles and drums and the fine words from stay-at-home orators. 人们的耳朵被军号声和战声以及呆在这的演说家们的漂亮言辞塞得太满了。 来自飘（部分）

7 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

8 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

9 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

11 disaffected   

adj.（政治上）不满的，叛离的

参考例句：

• He attracts disaffected voters.他吸引了心怀不满的选民们。
• Environmental issues provided a rallying point for people disaffected with the government.环境问题把对政府不满的人们凝聚了起来。

12 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

13 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。

14 privy   

adj.私用的；隐密的

参考例句：

• Only three people,including a policeman,will be privy to the facts.只会允许3个人，其中包括一名警察，了解这些内情。
• Very few of them were privy to the details of the conspiracy.他们中很少有人知道这一阴谋的详情。

15 junta   

n.团体；政务审议会

参考例句：

• The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.军政府感到自身权力受威胁而进行了激烈反击。
• A military junta took control of the country.一个军政权控制了国家。

16 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

17 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

18 obstructing   

阻塞( obstruct的现在分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止

参考例句：

• You can't park here, you're obstructing my driveway. 你不能在这里停车，你挡住了我家的车道。
• He was charged for obstructing the highway. 他因阻碍交通而受控告。

19 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。