VOA标准英语2008年-Thailand's Prime Minister Faces Protests and Vo

Thailand's Prime Minister says he will not step aside despite on-going protests but will face a no-confidence debate in parliament in the coming week. As Ron Corben reports from Bangkok the prime minister also denies claims by protestors encamped outside the government's main administration building that he is acting¹ on behalf of former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, currently facing corruption² charges.
　

Anti government demonstrators gather outside Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, 21 Jun 2008

Thai Prime Minister, Samak Sundaravej, during his weekly address to the nation, said he was willing to face a no-confidence parliament debate this week but is refusing to bow to protester's calls for his resignation.

Mr. Samak, leader of the People's Power Party, oversees³ a six party coalition⁴ government elected last December. The elections ended 15 months of military rule after a coup⁵ in September 2006 ousted⁶ former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, now facing corruption charges.

Mr. Thaksin and more than 100 executives from the former Thai Rak Thai Party face five year bans from politics after being charged with fraud during elections in 2006.

Many former Thai Rak Thai Party members moved to establish the People's Power Party.

But Mr. Samak says his government was elected legally and is looking to serve a four year term in office. He also denied he was a proxy⁷ for Mr. Thaksin.

Mr. Samak said it still appeared those with ill feelings towards Mr. Thaksin were looking to have him resign as Prime Minister. This, he said, would head the country into an uncertain direction.

The current protests were launched in May by the People's Alliance for Democracy, the PAD; initially⁸ calling for a halt to constitutional changes that could have led to the investigations⁹ against Mr. Thaksin coming to a halt as well as the lifting of the political bans on the Thai Rak Thai party members.

Many at the weekend rallies, that drew several thousand protestors, were skeptical¹⁰ that Mr. Thaksin, a billionaire and owner of British premier¹¹ league soccer team Manchester city, would remain on the sidelines of Thai politics.

At the rally, Pimpagon Rojananin, a fifth year student at Chulalongkorn University, says it will be important for the Thai political landscape that the court cases involving Mr. Thaksin go ahead, so political tensions in the country will be reduced.

"Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra after what he has done to our country at least standing¹² in court and facing the sentence. If he is right [innocent] OK he's free but if it's not right he deserves [a punishment] for what he has done," said Pimpagon Rojananin.

Mr. Thaksin remains¹³ a deeply divisive figure in Thai politics drawing his support from rural populations and the poor with populist policies such as low
interest loans and low cost medical care programs.

At the same time, the urban middle class have attacked the former prime minister and his supporters over corruption and abuse of power charges.

Political analysts¹⁴ warn the outlook for the political landscape in Thailand will remain unsettled over the coming months. But the military, which launched a coup in September 2006 against Mr. Thaksin's government, has called for a political resolution to the present conflict, saying it will remain neutral.

1 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

2 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

3 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

4 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。

5 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

6 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

7 proxy   

n.代理权，代表权；（对代理人的）委托书；代理人

参考例句：

• You may appoint a proxy to vote for you.你可以委托他人代你投票。
• We enclose a form of proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting.我们附上委任年度大会代表的表格。

8 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

9 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

10 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

11 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

12 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。

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

14 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。