VOA标准英语2013--Burma Urged to Prosecute Perpetrators of Sectarian Unrest

 

Burma Urged to Prosecute¹ Perpetrators of Sectarian Unrest

A dispute between a Muslim gold shop owner and a Buddhist² customer in central Burma's Meiktila township escalated³ into three days of mob violence, mainly against the Muslim population.

Satellite photos released Monday by Human Rights Watch show entire neighborhoods burned to the ground, a disturbing echo of last year's clashes in western Rakhine state.

Extremists have learned they can attack Muslims and get away with it, deputy director for Asia Phil Robertson said.

"What we saw in Meiktila was police forces sitting around or standing⁴ behind various different mobs as they were attacking mosques⁵ and attacking communities. Why weren't they restoring order?" he asked."Why aren't they investigating to find out actually who is behind this? Who, not only committed the violent acts but also who instigated⁶ and incited⁷ people to do so?"

In a national broadcast, President Thein Sein acknowledged the damage done to Burma's image and warned against letting religious tensions spiral out of control and disrupt reforms.

Authorities have announced about 70 arrests in the violence, but it is unclear if those detained will be prosecuted⁸.

United Nations Resident and Humanitarian⁹ Coordinator¹⁰ for Burma, Ashok Nigam, stressed the need to enforce the law.

“It is important that the rule of law prevails and that those who perpetrated this are brought to justice that is important," he said. "That also sends out very important messages in terms of prevention in the future.”

Few have been held accountable for last year's clashes in Rakhine state that left almost 200 dead and 120,000 segregated¹¹ into relief camps, most of them stateless Rohingya Muslims.

An estimated 25,000 Rohingya have since taken to crowded boats and fled toward neighboring countries.

According to Phil Robertson, those remaining are losing hope and the coming rainy season will bring more disaster.

“So, we're looking at a major health crisis coming for the Rohingya as well who have already been weakened by a lack of food and basic nutrients," he explained. "So, it is a slow-moving humanitarian disaster that is going to have a significant uptick when the rains start.”

Al Haj Aye Lwin, a Muslim leader in Rangoon and member of the Religions for Peace Council says attacks on Muslims appear coordinated¹² to create sectarian tensions.

“I noticed at the grassroots level we have a very very good relations, but there was instigation, and there were some systematically¹³ planned traps laid by those people to turn this into a racist¹⁴ and also a religious problem,” he said.

As Burma's democratic reforms lead to majority rule, rights activists¹⁵ stress the need to protect minority rights and for the country to value its rich ethnic¹⁶ and religious diversity. 

1 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

2 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

3 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。

6 instigated   

v.使（某事物）开始或发生，鼓动( instigate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The government has instigated a programme of economic reform. 政府已实施了经济改革方案。
• He instigated the revolt. 他策动了这次叛乱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 incited   

刺激，激励，煽动( incite的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He incited people to rise up against the government. 他煽动人们起来反对政府。
• The captain's example incited the men to bravery. 船长的榜样激发了水手们的勇敢精神。

8 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》。

9 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

10 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

11 segregated   

分开的； 被隔离的

参考例句：

• a culture in which women are segregated from men 妇女受到隔离歧视的文化
• The doctor segregated the child sick with scarlet fever. 大夫把患猩红热的孩子隔离起来。

12 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

13 systematically   

adv.有系统地

参考例句：

• This government has systematically run down public services since it took office.这一屆政府自上台以来系统地削减了公共服务。
• The rainforest is being systematically destroyed.雨林正被系统地毀灭。

14 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

15 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》

16 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。