2006年VOA标准英语-Human Rights Activists Disappointed Over P

By Nico Colombant
Abidjan
30 March 2006

 
The U.N. helicopter sets off from Monrovia airport, Liberia, March 29, 2006, with captured former Liberian President Charles Taylor, en route to Sierra Leone 
  
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has said she would prefer the case of detained former Liberian warlord Charles Taylor to take place outside Sierra Leone, the site of a special war crimes court. Meanwhile, Dutch officials say the special tribunal for Sierra Leone has asked the Netherlands to host the trial.

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President Sirleaf says her government expects the U.N. Security Council to pass a resolution that would allow Charles Taylor to be tried outside Freetown.

She said the International Criminal Court in The Hague or any other international court would be preferable. She said the court in The Hague would provide, what she called, a more conducive¹ environment.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at VOA (file photo)   
  
She also warned against any individuals who may want to use Taylor's dramatic capture this week in Nigeria and transferal to Sierra Leone as reason to cause chaos². She said they will also face the law.

Meanwhile, the Dutch foreign ministry³ says the special tribunal in Sierra Leone has asked the Netherlands to host the trial.

U.S. officials brought up this possibility immediately following Taylor's capture, saying a change of venue⁴ should be considered for a trial of such magnitude.

Taylor supporters have also called for the trial to be held outside Sierra Leone, saying it could help avoid more instability.

 
Liberian President Charles Taylor leaves Roberts International Airport by airplane in Monrovia (File photo - Aug. 11, 2003) 
  
Taylor faces 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in Sierra Leone's 10-year civil war, marked by the trade of diamonds for weapons, the use of child soldiers, the systematic⁵ rape⁶ of young women, and the physical mutilation of civilians⁷. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Taylor is also accused of using similar techniques during his rise to power in Liberia, as well as involvement in conflicts in neighboring Guinea and Ivory Coast.

Not everyone prefers a trial in the Netherlands. A London-based Senegalese human rights activist⁸, Ibrahim Kane, says the trial should be held in Africa.

"Sierra Leoneans, Liberians, Guineans, to some extent Ivorians, want to know what happened, why this happened and what is the rationale behind these atrocities⁹," he said. "I think they have the right to know, that it is better that this trial happen in the region rather than in The Hague. The coverage¹⁰ from The Hague will be really difficult to follow. So I really do not know what will be the added value of the trial in The Hague, far from the scene where all these atrocities happened."

He also fears this could slow the process.

A Sierra Leone human rights activist, Sulaiman Jabati, also expressed concern, saying most impoverished¹¹ Sierra Leoneans will not be able to follow what happens in The Hague.

"Imagine how many people have access to television in Sierra Leone. So on behalf of the people of Sierra Leone, we believe that the best place to try Charles Taylor definitely should be in Sierra Leone," he said. "I think if you ask the majority of Sierra Leoneans they will tell you they want to see Charles Taylor in the dock. They want to hear him, they want to hear his lawyers, they want to hear his arguments."

Human rights activists¹² also say they hope the trial will shed light on who was helping¹³ Taylor. The former warlord may appear in court this week, as proceedings¹⁴ begin. He is in a cell at the court's U.N. peacekeeper protected compound in Sierra Leone.

But some political analysts¹⁵ and newspaper columnists¹⁶ in the region have said it may be more prudent¹⁷ to have the trial held outside the region, so justice will be served, they say, with fewer threats of more violence.

1 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。

2 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

5 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

6 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

7 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

8 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

9 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

11 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 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》

13 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

14 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

15 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

16 columnists   

n.专栏作家( columnist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This story will be more fodder for the gossip columnists. 这个传闻会是闲谈专栏作家的又一素材。
• The columnists coined the phrase \"to broderick\", meaning to rough up. 专栏作家们杜撰出一个新词“布罗德里克”意思是“动武”、“打架”。 来自辞典例句

17 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。