柬埔寨对美国削减援助的决定感到悲哀

Cambodia ‘Saddened’ over US Decision to Cut Aid

Cambodia is criticizing the United States government for deciding to cut the amount of aid it gives the country.

The Trump¹ administration said in a statement Tuesday it was stopping or reducing aid programs worth $8.3 million. It said the cuts were being made because of “recent setbacks in democracy” in Cambodia.

The setbacks had caused U.S. officials “deep concern,” the statement said. The concern led the government “to review its assistance to Cambodia to ensure that American taxpayer³ funds are not being used to support anti-democratic behavior.”

The cuts relate to assistance programs provided by the Treasury⁴ Department, USAID and the U.S. armed forces.

In Phnom Penh, a government spokesman said Wednesday Cambodian officials were “saddened and shocked” over the “disrespectful” decision. The official defended his country’s record and promised Cambodia would “maintain and continue democracy with energy.”

The U.S. announcement came days after Cambodian Senate elections in which the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) claimed victory in all 58 seats.

The vote was held after thousands of opposition⁶ lawmakers and local leaders were denied voting rights. Senate seats are elected by parliament members and local officials across Cambodia.

Rights groups and members of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, or CNRP, called the vote a “sham⁷” and “undemocratic.”

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters the elections had “failed to represent the genuine will of the Cambodian people.”

Until last November, the CNRP was the only opposition party in parliament. Then, acting⁸ on a government request, Cambodia’s Supreme⁹ Court ordered the party dissolved. The high court also barred its members from holding office in the future.

Cambodia has been led for more than 30 years by Hun Sen, who currently serves as prime minister. Political observers say they think general elections planned for July will extend the rule of his Cambodian People’s Party.

Kem Sokha, the leader of the CNRP, was arrested in September. He is accused of trying to overthrow¹⁰ the government with U.S. support. He remains¹¹ jailed on treason charges. U.S. officials and rights groups have criticized the Cambodian government actions as part of a larger effort to crush political opposition and independent media.

In a report, Cambodia’s main media watchdog group said a “fa?ade of media freedom” collapsed¹² in the country in 2017.

The Cambodian Center for Independent Media spoke⁵ with more than 70 local journalists working in Cambodia. They came from both pro-government and more independent media organizations. The center says the study was carried out anonymously¹³.

As one example, the report noted¹⁴ the closures of 32 radio stations that produced broadcasts often critical of the government. It said the government had also forced other often-critical media organizations to suspend operations because of tax investigations¹⁵.

One of them is the Cambodia Daily newspaper, which was ordered closed over a disputed tax bill.

Radio Free Asia suspended its Cambodia operations last year, noting threats and a dispute over its tax situation. Radio Free Asia and VOA are each part of the U.S. government-supported Broadcasting Board of Governors.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

setback² – n. a problem that make progress difficult or success less likely

ensure – v. make sure something is done or happens

fund – n. an amount of money set aside for a special purpose

review – v. to examine or study

sham – n. something that is not what it appears to be and that is meant to trick or people

genuine – adj. real; not a copy or reproduced

dissolve – v. to officially end

fa?ade – n. a way of behaving or appearing that gives other people a false idea of your true feelings or situation

journalist – n. someone who writes or reports a study for a media company

anonymously – adv. not named or identified

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

3 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

4 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

5 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。

6 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。

7 sham   

n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的)

参考例句：

• They cunningly played the game of sham peace.他们狡滑地玩弄假和平的把戏。
• His love was a mere sham.他的爱情是虚假的。

8 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

9 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

10 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

12 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

13 anonymously   

ad.用匿名的方式

参考例句：

• The manuscripts were submitted anonymously. 原稿是匿名送交的。
• Methods A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey 536 teachers anonymously. 方法采用自编“中小学教师职业压力问卷”对536名中小学教师进行无记名调查。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

15 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。