VOA标准英语2008年-Amnesty Accuses Burma of Human Rights Abuses Si

By Ron Corben
Bangkok
05 June 2008

Amnesty International says Burma's military government has been forcibly moving people out of the temporary shelters they moved into after Cyclone¹ Nargis. As Ron Corben reports from Bangkok, Amnesty also raise doubts that Burma's military is standing² by agreements with the United Nations to allow more international assistance into the country.
　

People affected3 by cyclone Nargis wait to board boats prior to travel back to their devastated4 villages in Labutta, in the southwest Irrawaddy Delta5, Burma, 03 Jun 2008

A new Amnesty International report says that since May 20, Burma's military government has stepped up efforts to remove cyclone survivors⁶ from temporary shelters such as schools and monasteries⁷. The report says the survivors are forcibly returned to their homes, even if those homes no longer are standing.

The United Nations says 550,000 people had been living in temporary shelters since the storm. The Amnesty report specifies⁸ at least 30 cases of forcible displacement⁹ but Amnesty officials say the actual figure could be higher.

The cyclone that came ashore¹⁰ on May 2 killed 78,000 people and left 56,0000 missing. More than two million survivors need aid, but the United Nations estimates at least a million have received none at all.

Benjamin Zawacki is a researcher with Amnesty International. He said Thursday that Burma's government failed to assist cyclone victims in part because it focused on holding a constitutional referendum.

"It's refusal to deploy¹¹ resources toward the victims of the cyclone and rather deploy toward holding a constitutional referendum - as well as its refusal to accept international aid and assistance - this is the pre-eminent human rights concern in the context of the cyclone - it continues to be so today," said Zawacki.

The international community has condemned¹² Burma's failure to provide aid to the storm's victims and its decision to block international relief supplies and disaster workers.

After meetings with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Burma has agreed to allow in more aid workers. On Thursday, a team of 200 relief workers from ASEAN nations began arriving.
　

USS Essex and the Essex Amphibious Ready Group steam in formation in the Andaman Sea, 23 May 2008

However, it has rejected aid from other sources, including the U.S. and French navies. Four U.S. ships have sailed away from Burma's coast after the government refused their help for three weeks.

Zawacki says Burma's government, known as the State Peace and Development Council, continues to obstruct¹³ aid.

"Amnesty certainly doesn't see the situation as one in which a bridge was crossed and then burned behind them and suddenly things have changed exponentially," he said. "No. I think things have indeed changed - things have indeed opened up but the obstruction¹⁴ and the negligence¹⁵ on the part of the SPDC has in fact continued one month on into June. It's simply taking different forms."

Amnesty called on the international community to address the human rights dimensions of the disaster.

Media reports Thursday confirmed the arrest of a popular Burmese comedian¹⁶, Maung Thura, better known as Zarganar, soon after he had returned from distributing aid in the storm area. Other Burmese report having been detained by soldiers, and their goods taken away, when they tried to take private donations to the cyclone's victims.

1 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

2 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。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

5 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

6 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

7 monasteries   

修道院( monastery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• In ancient China, there were lots of monasteries. 在古时候，中国有许多寺院。
• The Negev became a religious center with many monasteries and churches. 内格夫成为许多庙宇和教堂的宗教中心。

8 specifies   

v.指定( specify的第三人称单数 )；详述；提出…的条件；使具有特性

参考例句：

• The third clause of the contract specifies steel sashes for the windows. 合同的第三款指定使用钢窗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The contract specifies red tiles, not slates, for the roof. 合同规定屋顶用红瓦，并非石板瓦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

10 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

11 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

12 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

13 obstruct   

v.阻隔，阻塞(道路、通道等)；n.阻碍物，障碍物

参考例句：

• He became still more dissatisfied with it and secretly did everything in his power to obstruct it.他对此更不满意，尽在暗里使绊子。
• The fallen trees obstruct the road.倒下的树将路堵住了。

14 obstruction   

n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物

参考例句：

• She was charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.她被指控妨碍警察执行任务。
• The road was cleared from obstruction.那条路已被清除了障碍。

15 negligence   

n.疏忽，玩忽，粗心大意

参考例句：

• They charged him with negligence of duty.他们指责他玩忽职守。
• The traffic accident was allegedly due to negligence.这次车祸据说是由于疏忽造成的。

16 comedian   

n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员

参考例句：

• The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
• The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。