2006年VOA标准英语-Burmese Rebel Leader Bo Mya Dies

By Suzanne Presto¹
Hong Kong
24 December 2006

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General Bo Mya sitting in his wheelchair during celebrations marking 57th anniversary of army's rebellion against Myanmar junta (file)

A longtime leader of Burma's largest ethnic³ rebel group has died. VOA's Suzanne Presto reports from Hong Kong.

A former leader of Burma's Karen National Union, Bo Mya died early Sunday in a Thai hospital. A rebel official says the 79-year-old had been suffering from a long illness.

 

Bo Mya led the Karen National Union in its fight against Burma's military government for decades, stepping down from his leadership post in 2000. The K.N.U. is Burma's largest ethnic insurgent⁴ group. It has been fighting for autonomy for almost six decades.

Bo Mya remained an advisor⁵ to the group in recent years.

A social worker involved with the Committee for Karen People, Saw Steve, says she heard about Bo Mya's death Sunday morning. She says the loss is not likely to affect the plans of the Karen National Union.

"I don't think so, because the Karen, they have the organization. They are going according to their policy and according to the decision from the congress,"  she said.

There are more than seven million Karen in Burma. Thousands have fled to Thailand to escape fighting between rebels and troops.

The K.N.U. is one of several minority groups that have fought the government since Burma won independence in 1948. The group reached an informal peace deal with the military junta in 2004, but an official pact⁶ was never signed.

At least 17 other rebel groups have signed ceasefire agreements with the junta.

1 presto   

adv.急速地；n.急板乐段；adj.急板的

参考例句：

• With something so important,you can't just wave a wand and presto!在这么重大的问题上，你想挥动一下指挥棒，转眼就变过来,办不到！
• I just turned the piece of wire in the lock and hey presto,the door opened.我把金属丝伸到锁孔里一拧，嘿，那门就开了。

2 junta   

n.团体；政务审议会

参考例句：

• The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.军政府感到自身权力受威胁而进行了激烈反击。
• A military junta took control of the country.一个军政权控制了国家。

3 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。

4 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

5 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

6 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。