VOA标准英语2008年-Amnesty International Gives Africa's Rights Rec

By Tendai Maphosa
London
28 May 2008

Amnesty International marks the 60th anniversary of the adoption¹ of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a report finding, among other things, that, despite decolonization, Africa has not seen many promises of the charter realized. From London Tendai Maphosa has more in this report from London.

More than 30 sub-Saharan countries are included in this year's Amnesty International annual report. And, once again the 2007 human rights report card for the continent is disappointing. Armed conflicts continued to fester in places such as Darfur, Somalia and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Governments acted with impunity² in Angola, Eritrea, Mozambique and Zimbabwe and Kenya descended³ into post-election violence. But while the report is a catalog of broken promises by Africa's leaders, Amnesty International's Africa Programming director Erwin van der Borght says there is a glimmer⁴ of hope.

"We really have the impression that increasingly activists⁵ and human rights defenders⁶ in general come up for their rights, demand accountability to their leaders, demand justice and it's a strong voice which is coming up in Africa which is very encouraging and we hope that stronger calls for accountability and justice and human rights will also put pressure on their governments to fulfill⁷ those rights and to keep their promises," he said.

The report also lauds⁸ African countries that have abolished the death penalty. It notes that, while executions continued in some countries, their number has declined.

Overall, the report notes that, in addition to gross human rights abuses in armed conflicts, economic and social rights remained an illusion for millions of Africans in 2007. Women, besides facing rape⁹ in conflict situations, endured widespread discrimination and systematic¹⁰ human rights abuses.

Even South Africa, seen by many as one of the beacons¹¹ of hope on the continent is criticized for an array of human rights abuses, including heavy-handed police response to public protests and torture of suspects in custody¹² and poor conditions in prisons

Amnesty's van der Borght says the war on terror has also had a negative impact on human rights in parts of Africa.

 

"Unfortunately the so-called war on terror launched by the United States is also increasingly being felt in Africa and particularly in the Horn of Africa," he said. "For example in Somalia early 2007 we saw a number of people who fled Somalia were arrested in Kenya, transferred via Somalia to Ethiopia where they were kept in detention¹³. Some of them have been released since but also a number remain in prison because they were accused or suspected of having links with Islamic armed opposition¹⁴ groups in Somalia or even with al-Qaida networks."

Van der Borght dismisses as "a very weak argument" the excuse used by some African leaders that the definitions of human rights have been imposed on them by the West. He says the African Charter and institutions, such as the African Commission on Human Rights, guarantee the same rights as do international human rights documents.

Amnesty's Secretary-General Irene Khan says it is time for governments to deliver the promises contained in the Universal Declaration of Human rights.

"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights does not need to be renegotiated, rewritten or scrapped¹⁵, it needs to be respected. At 60 it is not up for retirement¹⁶ but for renewed commitment," she said.

Governments, Khan added, cannot continue denying citizens basic rights, such as freedom of expression, assembly and association and attack political activists and human rights defenders, as more people are becoming aware of these rights and prepared to demand them.

1 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

2 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

3 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

4 glimmer   

v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光

参考例句：

• I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。
• A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。

5 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》

6 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

8 lauds   

v.称赞，赞美( laud的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The work lauds the victor, Liu Bang. 该曲歌颂了胜利者刘邦。 来自互联网
• The modern world lauds them for their vigor and intensity of purpose, and for their accomplishment. 诸君之祖先曾以大无畏之精神，冒不可思议之困难，筚路褴褛以开发新大陆。 来自互联网

9 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

10 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

11 beacons   

灯塔( beacon的名词复数 )； 烽火； 指路明灯； 无线电台或发射台

参考例句：

• A chain of beacons was lit across the region. 整个地区点起了一系列灯塔。
• Lighthouse and beacons flash at night. 晚上灯塔与信号台闪着光。

12 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。

13 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

14 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。

15 scrapped   

废弃(scrap的过去式与过去分词)； 打架

参考例句：

• This machine is so old that it will soon have to be scrapped. 这架机器太旧，快报废了。
• It had been thought that passport controls would be scrapped. 人们曾认为会放开护照管制。

16 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。