美国对泰国选举动乱深感不安

 　　美国对泰国选举动乱深感不安

　　WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The United States was "deeply troubled" by efforts in Thailand to disrupt early voting, the state department said Sunday, calling on all sides to refrain from violence.

　　"The United States is deeply troubled by efforts to block polls and otherwise prevent voting in Thailand, and by the most recent acts of political violence," State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said in a statement.

　　Out of 50 polling stations in Bangkok, Thailand's capital, only seven remained open as of 11 a.m. local time, while in 15 southern provinces, most people were unable to cast a vote due to anti-government protesters' efforts to block and disrupt.

　　Suthin Tharathin, a core leader of anti-government protests, was shot dead on Sunday in Bangkok.

　　"While we do not take sides in the political dispute and strongly support freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest, preventing citizens from voting violates their universal rights and is inconsistent with democratic values," Psaki said.

　　"We reiterate¹ our call for all sides to refrain from violence, exercise restraint, and commit to sincere dialogue to resolve political differences peacefully and democratically," she added.

　　Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra could delay the election she has called for Feb. 2, as a Constitutional Court ruled on Friday in favor of a delay.

　　The government declared a 60-day state of emergency, effective from Wednesday, as part of its efforts to curb² ongoing³ protests that started in October following the passage of a government-backed amnesty bill that could have led to the return of Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister and Yingluck's brother.

1 reiterate   

v.重申，反复地说

参考例句：

• Let me reiterate that we have absolutely no plans to increase taxation.让我再一次重申我们绝对没有增税的计划。
• I must reiterate that our position on this issue is very clear.我必须重申我们对这一项议题的立场很清楚。

2 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

3 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。