VOA标准英语2010年-Report Says Impunity in Nepal Blocks P

The International Crisis Group says both the Nepalese government and the Maoists have made commitments to investigate disappearances¹ and address human-rights issues, but the group says no action has been taken.

Selah Hennessy | London 14 January 2010

A new report says Nepal's peace process is in danger because of a failure to address crimes committed during the country's decade-long civil war.  The research organization International Crisis Group says prosecution² of those responsible for the most serious atrocities³ must be one of the country's top priorities. 

International Crisis Group Asia Program Director Robert Templar says impunity⁴ is a major problem in Nepal.

"There has been a real lack of accountability following the signing of the peace process," he said. "And that lack of accountability on both sides risks worsening the problems with that peace process, which at the moment is in a tense and delicate stage."

About 13,000 people were killed and more than 1,000 disappeared during Nepal's decade-long civil war, which ended with a peace agreement in 2006.

The International Crisis Group says both the Nepalese government and the Maoists have made commitments to investigate disappearances and address human-rights issues, but the group says no action has been taken.

It says the top priorities need to be prosecuting⁵ the most serious crimes, investigating disappearances, and vetting⁶ state and Maoist security forces.  It says, the United Nations needs to do more to lead the way towards bringing an end to impunity.

The U.N. Mission in Nepal was set up in 2007 to support and monitor the peace process.  But Templar told VOA the international organization is losing its credibility in the country.

"Large numbers of Nepali officers join international peacekeeping missions around the world. In many cases those same officers have been accused of abuses at home," he said. "I do not think it is acceptable for the U.N. to be giving often very lucrative⁷, very prestigious⁸ positions to people who have abused their own citizens at home."

Charu Lata Hogg, Nepal analyst⁹ at London-based research group Chatham House, says bringing those responsible for abuses in Nepal to justice will serve as a deterrent¹⁰ in a nation wracked by violence. 

"Prosecutions¹¹ and bringing an end to impunity are intrinsically linked up to the future peace in Nepal," said Hogg.

But she says the structure of Nepal's judiciary, police force, and army stands in the way of prosecution.

"The way the political culture in Nepal has evolved in which there is extreme corruption¹² - the bureaucracy is overladen, the attorney-general's office is not independent, the judiciary is not independent and is under political influence - is another important factor which has created a situation of rising impunity and no actual violations¹³ being tried," said Hogg.

The U.N. mandate¹⁴ in Nepal is due to expire January 23.  But this week U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon expressed his concern over a political stalemate in Nepal and recommended that the UN's special mission be extended. 

1 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

2 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

3 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 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。

5 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

6 vetting   

n.数据检查[核对，核实]v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的现在分词 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• Scripts had to be submitted to Ministry of Information officials for vetting. 必须把脚本提交给信息部官员审查。 来自互联网
• Their purpose in clicking deeper into a site is one of vetting. 他们深入点击网站的目的是一种诊疗。 来自互联网

7 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

8 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

9 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

10 deterrent   

n.阻碍物，制止物；adj.威慑的，遏制的

参考例句：

• Large fines act as a deterrent to motorists.高额罚款是对开车的人的制约。
• I put a net over my strawberries as a deterrent to the birds.我在草莓上罩了网，免得鸟歇上去。

11 prosecutions   

起诉( prosecution的名词复数 )； 原告； 实施； 从事

参考例句：

• It is the duty of the Attorney-General to institute prosecutions. 检察总长负责提起公诉。
• Since World War II, the government has been active in its antitrust prosecutions. 第二次世界大战以来，政府积极地进行着反对托拉斯的检举活动。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

12 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。

13 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

14 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。