VOA标准英语2010-Thai 'Yellow Shirts' Stage Counter-Protes

Pro-government supporters carry Thai national flags and sing nationalistic songs in Bangkok, Thailand, 29 Apr 2010

 

Thai anti-government protestors have appealed to the European Union calling for observers to come to the rally site in central Bangkok in the hope of preventing "an imminent¹ military crackdown".

In the letter presented by senior leaders of the anti-government protestors or Red Shirts to the European Union's ambassador it appealed for observers to "monitor the government's actions" amid fears of an "imminent military crackdown."

 

Leaders of the United Democratic Front against Dictatorship (UDD) said protestors faced the threat of tanks and impending² bloodshed, and appealed to the European Union for help in averting³ "a human rights catastrophe⁴".

The UDD protest site of the past month is in central Bangkok's retail⁵ and commercial area of Rajaprasong and bounded by five-star hotels and apartment buildings. At the site on Thursday several children and women were visible within the protest camp which is set on a main road.

Several thousand so-called Red Shirt protestors are barricaded⁶ in a three square kilometer area with home-made bamboo spears, stones and sling-shots. Many say they have no fear of the military. The army says up to 1,000 people in the area may have guns and weapons.

Most of the commercial businesses in the area have been shuttered with many facing massive losses in revenue from the weeks of protests.

UDD spokesperson Sean Boonpracong appealed to Thai military draftees sent to the site and preparing to complete two years of conscription not to fire upon the protestors.

"The people that they shoot could end up being your relatives and your friends," Boonpracong said. "You could go home as an honourable⁷ citizen or you could go home and be branded a killer⁸ all your life. You have yourself to decide – do the right thing – think about it."

The UDD protests largely support former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, with the backing of the opposition⁹ Puea Thai Party. Most supporters are largely the rural and urban working class and poor. Some analysts¹⁰ say the protests have led to a growing political influence of the Red Shirts ready to challenge the existing government and military.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, in recent interviews, says the government is looking to enforce the law while in parallel finding a political solution.

Government officials say they are trying to arrest people they call "terrorists," who they say have mingled¹¹ with demonstrators and who are accused of firing on troops on April 10 during a clash with military. Since the Red Shirts began demonstrating in Bangkok last month, 27 people have died and almost 1,000 have been injured in clashes.

The government is also coming under pressure from several groups to end the protests and occupation. One group is the anti-Thaksin group the People's Alliance for Democracy or PAD. On Thursday the PAD rallied outside a military base where Mr. Abhisit and military leaders have remained since the protests began in mid-March.

At the rally, the PAD leaders called on the government to act "decisively" against those who breach¹² the law.

Thailand is being gripped by the most severe political crisis in almost 20 years. In 1992 pro-democracy protestors clashed with the army when they opposed the military's appointment of a prime minister, Suchinda Krayprayoon. Over three days some 50 people died and hundreds were injured.
 

1 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

2 impending   

a.imminent, about to come or happen

参考例句：

• Against a background of impending famine, heavy fighting took place. 即将发生饥荒之时，严重的战乱爆发了。
• The king convoke parliament to cope with the impending danger. 国王召开国会以应付迫近眉睫的危险。

3 averting   

防止，避免( avert的现在分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• The margin of time for averting crisis was melting away. 可以用来消弥这一危机的些许时光正在逝去。
• These results underscore the value of rescue medications in averting psychotic relapse. 这些结果显示了救护性治疗对避免精神病复发的价值。

4 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

5 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

6 barricaded   

设路障于，以障碍物阻塞( barricade的过去式和过去分词 )； 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守

参考例句：

• The police barricaded the entrance. 警方在入口处设置了路障。
• The doors had been barricaded. 门都被堵住了。

7 honourable   

adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的

参考例句：

• I don't think I am worthy of such an honourable title.这样的光荣称号，我可担当不起。
• I hope to find an honourable way of settling difficulties.我希望设法找到一个体面的办法以摆脱困境。

8 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

9 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

10 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。

11 mingled   

混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]

参考例句：

• The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
• The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

12 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。