VOA常速英语2008年-Rights Group Describes Planned Post-Election Vi

By Derek Kilner
Nairobi
17 March 2008

The international organization Human Rights Watch says in a new report that much of the political and ethnic¹ violence that followed Kenya's disputed presidential elections was methodically organized. The organization says the planning was done at the local level, but that the role of national leaders must be investigated further. For VOA, Derek Kilner reports from Nairobi.

The report attempts to provide new evidence to support the claim that post-election violence that killed over one-thousand people and displaced hundreds of thousands was largely organized.

Human Rights Watch Africa researcher Ben Rawlence, addressing reporters in Nairobi, said coordination² by local leaders was seen throughout the country, among supporters of both President Mwai Kibaki and his challenger Raila Odinga.

"It was more or less organized at the local level by local leaders, by elected councilors, by mobilizers for political parties and also funded by local businessmen. Now the extent of links between those local leaders and the people at the national level is something that needs further investigation³. But there is a lot of circumstantial evidence that suggests they were well aware of what was going on," he said.

The report also charges Kenya's police with unlawful killings⁴ and with an inconsistent response to violence in different areas. The organization suggested that the police response was much more severe, for example, in the opposition⁵ stronghold of Kisumu than in other parts of the country that experienced similar levels of unrest.

During negotiations⁶ that led to a power-sharing agreement between Kibaki and Odinga, the two sides agreed to form a commission to investigate the post-election violence, as well as a Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation⁷ Committee to examine longer-standing grievances⁸. Rawlence voiced support for the mandates⁹ of these bodies but suggested the formation of the groups alone would achieve little.

"The Kenyan government in the past has been very good at organizing commissions listing names of people who were involved, collecting an awful lot of evidence but then it's very good at ignoring the recommendations and not bringing the people to justice," he added.

Another commission has been established to investigate the conduct of the election itself. The commission, headed by the former head of South Africa's electoral commission, Johann Kriegler, is expected to complete its work within three to six months. Odinga charges that the presidential election was rigged and international observers have said the results were not credible¹⁰.

The Human Rights Watch report also faults Western donors for continuing to support the Kenyan government in the years before the elections while largely ignoring charges of widespread corruption and impunity

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

5 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。

6 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。

7 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

8 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。

10 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？