VOA慢速英语2015 印尼回击外国死刑压力

AS IT IS 2015-02-26 Indonesia Pushes Back on Foreign Executions Pressure 印尼回击外国死刑压力

Indonesian President Joko Widodo is pushing back at foreign pressure over plans to execute drug traffickers. The president spoke¹ in Jakarta Tuesday about Brazil’s delay in welcoming a new ambassador from Indonesia. He said the Brazilian decision is a matter of honor for the nation.

“There must be no intervention² on the execution of convicted drug dealers⁴,” he said. “It is an issue of our rule of law, of our political sovereignty and positively⁵ in our law, death sentences included.”

He was speaking about the Brazilian president’s delay in accepting credentials⁶, or documentation, from the would-be Indonesian ambassador. Some reports say Brazil delayed the acceptance in response to the death sentence of a Brazilian drug dealer³.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Mursadi said the Brazilian government has given no reason for the action. But he said the Indonesian government sent a letter of protest to the Brazilian embassy in Jakarta.

Since 2013, Indonesia has carried out at least 10 executions of drug dealers. All of those executed had been found guilty of drug crimes and sentenced to death. In January, Indonesia put to death five foreign nationals, including a Brazilian citizen.

President Joko Widodo has denied requests from Brazil and three other countries to pardon their citizens.

On Tuesday, a court in Jakarta rejected an appeal by two Australians. The two, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, are jailed for drug trafficking. Both were sentenced to death.

President Widodo has refused to lessen⁷ the severity of the sentences. The Jakarta court ruled that he was within his right to do so and that it could not overturn that decision.

The two Australians were to be killed in February. But the courts have delayed the executions for up to a month because of what they say are logistical reasons.

The two led a group of nine Australians, known as the Bali Nine. They were arrested 10 years ago after attempting to bring more than eight kilograms of the drug heroin⁸ to Australia from Indonesia.

Words in this Story

trafficker(s) - n. someone involved in an illegal activity, such as the drug trade

convicted – adj. found guilty of a crime

sovereignty – n. self-rule; independence

embassy – n. the offices of an ambassador and his or her assistants

logistical – adj. relating to the things that must be done to plan and organize something that involves many people

1 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。

2 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

3 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。

4 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

5 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

6 credentials   

n.证明，资格，证明书，证件

参考例句：

• He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
• Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。

7 lessen   

vt.减少，减轻；缩小

参考例句：

• Regular exercise can help to lessen the pain.经常运动有助于减轻痛感。
• They've made great effort to lessen the noise of planes.他们尽力减小飞机的噪音。

8 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。