VOA标准英语2011--Burma Releases Dozens of Political Priso

Burma Releases Dozens of Political Prisoners

Burma has released more than 100 political prisoners as part of a general amnesty, including a few prominent activists¹. Rights groups have welcomed their release but are urging that all political prisoners be set free. They are also stressing the real test of the government's claims to reform will be in how they are treated after their release.
Amnesty
Authorities in Burma began releasing prisoners Wednesday morning as part of an amnesty for over 6,000 inmates².
Burmese comedian³ and dissident Thura, known by his stage name Zarganar, was among those set free. He spoke⁴ after his release to VOA's Burmese service, comparing authorities in Burma to Somali pirates.
He says he feels as if he was captured and held hostage by Somalia pirates. He says he is not happy to be released today and feels very sad because there are several prisoners of conscience who still remain in prison. He urges Burma’s politicians to do more than just talk, and take real actions. He says promises made by the government need to be implemented⁵ if they are to rebuild the nation.
Charges
Zarganar was arrested in 2008 and sentenced to 59 years in prison for criticizing the military government’s slow response to Cyclone⁶ Nargis.
The deadly storm left 138,000 people dead or missing when it struck the Irrawaddy delta⁷ and hundreds of thousands homeless. Despite the emergency, authorities delayed acceptance of international help, which critics say added to the death toll⁸.
Hnin Pwin Wai, known as Phyo Phyo Aung, says she was one of six political prisoners released Wednesday from Moulmein prison in southern Burma. She was arrested in 2008, sentenced to four years, and due to be released anyway. She spoke by phone with VOA's Burmese service.
She says of those released, two were charged with associating with an illegal organization and four of them were arrested for other political activities. She says there are still two female political prisoners left in the prison and fifteen male ones. All of them, she says, are serving time for associating with a banned organization.
Political prisoners
Rights groups on Wednesday welcomed the release of political prisoners while noting they should not have been imprisoned⁹ in the first place.
"It's early, too early, to say conclusively¹⁰ whether or not this will be the sum total of those released or whether or not the figure will grow beyond the double digits¹¹ and into the triple digits," said Benjamin Zawacki of Amnesty International in Bangkok. "But, certainly we had, I think many of us had very reasonably high expectations for today's release, that it would be quite substantial in terms of the number of political prisoners and thus far we're not seeing that.
Zawacki says it is not yet clear whether political prisoners who are set free will be allowed to resume their activism. Burma’s government refuses to acknowledge any political prisoners, calling them criminals.
Zawacki points out that Burma’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was on several occasions released from her nearly two decades of house arrest, but her movements were restricted and she was later locked up.
"Her situation is very emblematic¹² of many others whereby they are sometimes detained and then released, resume their political activity, and then only to be detained once again," said Zawacki. "So, we would urge Myanmar authorities to make sure this release is genuine."
Burma’s President Thein Sein issued the amnesty Tuesday saying prisoners were being freed for good behavior.
Dissidents
But there were no details on who would be released or whether Burma’s estimated 2,000 political prisoners would be included.
Earlier reports indicated at least some dissidents would be among those set free.
Burma has issued amnesties in the past that included political prisoners only to continue arresting and sentencing dissidents who challenge authorities.
Nonetheless, in recent weeks authorities have taken steps indicating at least some in government may be interested in reform.
Authorities relaxed media censorship, passed a law allowing labor¹³ unions, and President Thein Sein held direct talks with Aung San Suu Kyi.
Rights groups question whether Burma’s newly elected government is simply trying to give the appearance of reform to get economic sanctions against it lifted.
Burma is also bidding to host the 2014 meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It was last scheduled to hold the rotating chair in 2005 but ASEAN was pressured to skip Burma due to its poor human rights record.

1 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》

2 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 comedian   

n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员

参考例句：

• The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
• The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

6 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

7 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

8 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

9 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

10 conclusively   

adv.令人信服地，确凿地

参考例句：

• All this proves conclusively that she couldn't have known the truth. 这一切无可置疑地证明她不可能知道真相。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• From the facts,he was able to determine conclusively that the death was not a suicide. 根据这些事实他断定这起死亡事件并非自杀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 digits   

n.数字( digit的名词复数 )；手指，足趾

参考例句：

• The number 1000 contains four digits. 1000是四位数。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The number 410 contains three digits. 数字 410 中包括三个数目字。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

12 emblematic   

adj.象征的，可当标志的；象征性

参考例句：

• The violence is emblematic of what is happening in our inner cities. 这种暴力行为正标示了我们市中心贫民区的状况。
• Whiteness is emblematic of purity. 白色是纯洁的象征。 来自辞典例句

13 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。