2007年VOA标准英语-Human Rights Watch Calls for Monitors to Check

By Peta Thornycroft
South Africa
14 August 2007

A human rights organization is calling on leaders in southern Africa to take action to deal with the deteriorating¹ human rights situation in Zimbabwe. Peta Thornycroft has more for VOA on an appeal by Human Rights Watch to the presidents of the 14 member Southern African Development Community.

The statement by Human Rights Watch comes ahead of a SADC summit that opens Thursday in Lusaka, Zambia.

Zimbabwe is expected to be a central topic of the meeting. SADC officials called the summit in March and at that time appointed South African President Thabo Mbeki to mediate² talks between Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition³ Movement for Democratic Change. At the summit, President Mbeki is expected to report on whether he is making any progress in getting the two sides to reconcile.

In its report, Human Rights Watch said "SADC's credibility as a real force for change on human rights is on the line here and its leaders should insist on tangible⁴ improvements in Zimbabwe."

Lance Lattig, a spokesman for Human Rights Watch in London, has some suggestions about what steps SADC should take to address the situation in Zimbabwe.

"Well, they could certainly establish a system of human rights monitors to go into the country to investigate what the human rights situation is so that SADC leaders and the SADC community is informed. And through that offer a certain degree of protection -- just by their very presence," said Lattig.

Lattig said that SADC has to insist on tangible improvements in Zimbabwe.

"For the leaders in the region to show true solidarity⁵ with the Zimbabwean people that means protecting them against attacks by their government," said Lattig.

 

Human Rights Watch says that in the last seven years SADC has failed to extract concrete commitments on human rights from the government of Zimbabwe.

President Robert Mugabe decorated top soldiers in Harare Tuesday as part of the annual armed forces day celebrations. He thanked the security forces for standing⁶ behind him during what he described as "trying times."

1 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

2 mediate   

vi.调解，斡旋；vt.经调解解决；经斡旋促成

参考例句：

• The state must mediate the struggle for water resources.政府必须通过调解来解决对水资源的争夺。
• They may be able to mediate between parties with different interests.他们也许能在不同利益政党之间进行斡旋。

3 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。

4 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

5 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。