VOA标准英语2010-Anti-Government Red Shirt Rallies Step up

Ron Corben | Bangkok 03 April 2010

Thai anti-government demonstrators take to the streets of downtown Bangkok, 03 Apr 2010

Key shopping malls in tourist locations in central Bangkok were closed or disrupted as anti-government protesters moved to blockade several intersections¹ in a bid to pressure Thailand's government to call fresh elections. The government was moving to impose the Internal Security Act and has asked protesters to leave the streets.  Fears remain of potential violence while local business and civil society groups are calling for the rallies to end due to the impact on business and tourism.

 

Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets of Bangkok Saturday blockading key intersections and bringing traffic to a halt in many locations.

The rallies are now in their third week with anti-government protestors, known for wearing the color red, calling for Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government to call fresh elections.

Two rounds of talks last weekend between government and protest leaders, televised nationally, failed to break the deadlock².  The red shirts, known to be supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, want the government to call the elections within 15 days.

But Mr. Abhisit, who oversees³ a 15 month old administration of six coalition⁴ parties, has offered a nine month time frame for elections after constitutional amendments⁵ have been agreed to and a new budget passed.

The red shirts accuse the government of being backed by the military that staged a coup⁶ against Thaksin in 2006. Two pro-Thaksin governments since then were sidelined by legal measures, allowing Mr. Abhisit to come to power.

Dr. Weng Tojirakarn

Weng Tojirakarn, a key leader of the red shirts, says the movement stands by its efforts to press the government to dissolve parliament.

"We would like to show the government that in reality we have a huge number of people who support us," he said. "So the government must change its mind, that is the government must dissolve the parliament as soon as possible - let's for the sake of the government, but for my side we still have the government dissolve the parliament within 15 days."

On Saturday other Red Shirt leaders, addressing a crowd of protestors estimated by police at 55,000,  said they "would do everything to pressure the government to dissolve the House".

But local business and civil society groups are starting to stage counter demonstrations⁷. Inbound tourism to Thailand has seen declines of up to 20 percent in arrivals as several countries have issued travel advisories⁸.

On Friday several thousand people rallied in central Bangkok calling for an end to the anti-government protests. Many fear growing violence after several small explosions have occurred in the capital and northern city of Chiang Mai.

But Dr. Weng says unless the prime minister dissolves parliament the red shirt protests will continue. "I'm afraid that the people will get angry, will get angrier. We still carry on non-violent demonstrations as long as other people still support us and as long as the government still say 'no' to the dissolution of parliament," he said.

Mr. Thaksin, who remains⁹ in exile in the face of corruption¹⁰ charges, has regularly called into the rallies on videophone to encourage the protesters.

Mr. Thaksin remains a highly divisive figure in Thailand. While populist policies, while prime minister led to support from the rural poor, Bangkok's middle class and urban elite¹¹ accused him of corruption and abuse of power.
 

1 intersections   

n.横断( intersection的名词复数 )；交叉；交叉点；交集

参考例句：

• Traffic lights have been placed at all major intersections. 所有重要的交叉路口都安装了交通信号灯。
• Intersections are of the greatest importance in highway design. 在道路设计中，交叉口占有最重要的地位。 来自辞典例句

2 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

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 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

6 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。

7 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

8 advisories   

n.（有关进展、动向、建议等的）报告( advisory的名词复数 )；公告；通告；通报

参考例句：

• Compliance with Practice Advisories is optional. 是否遵守实务公告由审计师自行选择决定。 来自互联网
• Hardened-PHP: not as such a PHP security information website, but it does have security advisories. 增强PHP:不仅仅是一个PHP安全新的网站，它还提供安全建议。 来自互联网

9 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。

10 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。

11 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。