VOA标准英语2009年-UN Probes Extrajudicial Killings In Kenya

A United Nations official is in Kenya to investigate reports of unlawful executions. Human rights groups in the country have accused the police force, as well as the military, of numerous extrajudicial killings² in the past two years, many in response to violence that followed the country's 2007 elections, or in pursuit of armed groups.
　
Phillip Alston (file photo)

On Monday, at the start of a ten-day visit, Phillip Alston, the U.N.'s special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings met with Kenya's police commissioner³ and with human rights activists⁴.

Alston, an Australian law professor at New York University, is in the country to investigate reports of killings by the police and the military in quelling⁵ the unrest that followed disputed elections in December 2007, and in pursuit of armed groups in the country, including the Mungiki criminal gang, active in Nairobi and Central Kenya, and the Sabaot Land Defense⁶ Force, a militia⁷ in western Kenya.

"My mandate⁸ is to look at any unlawful killings that take place," he said. "Unlawful killings defined as the military or the police in particular, but also any killings that are carried out by others, by private actors but that are not adequately investigated, prosecuted⁹ and punished by the state."

Human rights groups, including the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights have documented numerous cases of disappearances¹⁰, many related to a police campaign against the Mungiki, a gang that carried out a wave of violent attacks in 2007, and which was also involved in post-election clashes last year. The commission says many of those who have disappeared were last reported seen in police custody¹¹.

A police spokesman has admitted that some 3,000 disappearances have been reported, but the police have denied wrongdoing. Police have admitted to killing¹ gangsters¹² in shootouts, saying that such actions have broad public support in a country long plagued by violent crime.
　
A man believed to be a protester is brought down by police dogs near the town of Kikuyu after a group from the Kikuyu tribe blocked the road connecting Kenya's capital with the Rift¹³ Valley town of Naivasha, 30 Jan 2008

A report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights also suggested that of the more than 1,000 people killed in post-election clashes from December 2007 to February 2008, hundreds may have been killed by police fire.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has threatened strict punishment for officers guilty of extrajudicial killings. He has complained that many of his supporters were targeted by police during protests that followed the disputed presidential election.

Speaking to the KTN television station, the head of the human rights commission, Florence Jaoko, said unlawful killings sustain a 'culture of impunity¹⁴.'

"Our argument has been that it is the government's responsibility to equip the police with all the required resources because you cannot have a shortcut¹⁵ to investigations," said Jaoko. "Execution cannot be an answer, because then you don't have the rule of law."

Alston said he will present his findings to the U.N. Human Rights Council.

"There will then be a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council, an official U.N. report that will provide an opportunity for dialogue with the government of Kenya," he said. "And I very much hope that my report will be a focus of further discussions both within Kenya and within the international community."

Alston's visit follows the rejection¹⁶ by Kenya's parliament last week of an effort to create a tribunal to try those suspected of organizing attacks following the 2007 elections. Some lawmakers have called for a U.N. tribunal to be set up in Kenya, similar to the special court in Sierra Leone, saying a local tribunal would be susceptible¹⁷ to political manipulation.

On Tuesday, lawyer Cecil Miller¹⁸ was chosen to head an interim¹⁹ electoral commission, which replaced the body that carried out the flawed 2007 vote.

1 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

2 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。

3 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

4 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》

5 quelling   

v.（用武力）制止，结束，镇压( quell的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Quelling her grief, she said 'Good-bye! 'again and went on. 她把悲痛压下去，二番说了一声再见，又转身走去了。 来自辞典例句
• The police succeeded in quelling the riot. 警方把暴乱镇压了下去。 来自辞典例句

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

8 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

9 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

10 disappearances   

n.消失( disappearance的名词复数 )；丢失；失踪；失踪案

参考例句：

• Most disappearances are the result of the terrorist activity. 大多数的失踪案都是恐怖分子造成的。 来自辞典例句
• The espionage, the betrayals, the arrests, the tortures, the executions, the disappearances will never cease. 间谍活动、叛党卖国、逮捕拷打、处决灭迹，这种事情永远不会完。 来自英汉文学

11 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。

12 gangsters   

匪徒，歹徒( gangster的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gangsters offered him a sum equivalent to a whole year's earnings. 歹徒提出要给他一笔相当于他一年收入的钱。
• One of the gangsters was caught by the police. 歹徒之一被警察逮捕。

13 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

14 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。

15 shortcut   

n.近路，捷径

参考例句：

• He was always looking for a shortcut to fame and fortune.他总是在找成名发财的捷径。
• If you take the shortcut,it will be two li closer.走抄道去要近2里路。

16 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

17 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

18 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

19 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。