voa标准英语2008年-Election in Kashmir Begins Amid Boycott Calls

Elections for State government kicked off in Indian administered Kashmir on Monday amid calls for a boycott¹ of the vote by Kashmiri Muslim separatists. 10 constituencies are the first to take part in the seven-phase elections that will conclude on December 24.

A curfew-like situation prevailed in the Kashmir Valley Monday as a heavy deployment² of police and paramilitary troops restricted the movement of people.
　

A Kashmiri Muslim protester scuffles with police during a protest against elections in Bandipora, 17 Nov 2008

The deployment was made to prevent a march called by Kashmiri separatists as elections began in 10 of 87 constituencies. People were prevented from coming out of their homes in the Summer capital Srinagar and major towns where elections were not taking place.

The elections come at a time when Kashmir has seen some of largest demonstrations⁴ against Indian rule in decades. Calls for marches are now met by curfews. In recent weeks more than two dozen separatist leaders have been taken unto custody⁵ under the Public Safety Act that allows for detentions⁶ of up to two years without any trial.

Separatists have rejected the elections. Altaf Ahmad is an activist⁷ of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front.

"The whole of Kashmir nation is standing⁸ against these elections, because these elections are not as India claims in the United Nations, that people of Kashmir are representing themselves in these elections, that this is the self determination," he said.
　

Kashmiri Muslim women wait to cast their vote outside a polling station in Bandipora, 17 Nov 2008

Officials said up to 55 percent of voters turned out for the election despite the boycott call and bad weather. In many areas people were seen queuing up outside polling booths.

A human rights activist, Pervez Imroz of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition⁹ of Civil Society was arrested in Bandipora town while he was part of an Independent election monitoring group. Imroz's associate Khurram Pervez told VOA that police beat up Imroz along with two of his associates.

"In Bandipora our President Mr. Pervez Imroz, he along with some activists¹⁰ from outside were witnessing a protest demonstration³. There were many media men [who] were also witnessing the demonstration. And police came and started beating Mr Pervez and later they arrested Mr Pervez along with two local volunteers," he said.

Authorities had no immediate¹¹ comment on the reports.

Anti-India sentiment runs deep in majority Muslim Kashmir, where most people favor independence from India or a merger¹² with Pakistan. The region is divided between the two countries and both claim it in its entirety.

1 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

2 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

3 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

4 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。

5 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

6 detentions   

拘留( detention的名词复数 )； 扣押； 监禁； 放学后留校

参考例句：

• Teachers may assign detention tasks as they wish and some detentions have been actually dangerous. 老师可能随心所欲指派关禁闭的形式，有些禁闭事实上很危险。
• Intimidation, beatings and administrative detentions are often enough to prevent them from trying again. 恐吓，拷打和行政拘留足以阻止请愿者二次进京的脚步。

7 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。

8 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。

9 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。

10 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》

11 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

12 merger   

n.企业合并，并吞

参考例句：

• Acceptance of the offer is the first step to a merger.对这项提议的赞同是合并的第一步。
• Shareholders will be voting on the merger of the companies.股东们将投票表决公司合并问题。