2006年VOA标准英语-Papuan Students Protest Rights Abuses in I

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Jakarta
05 April 2006

Around 300 students from Indonesia's Papua Province have held a peaceful demonstration¹ in the nation's capital, demanding an investigation² into human rights abuses and international access to their troubled province.  The demonstration takes place as the issue of Papuan asylum³ seekers in Australia is straining ties with Indonesia.

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Protesters raise their hands as they shout slogans during demonstration against US mining giant Freeport-McMoRan Copper⁴ & Gold Inc. 
  

Shouting "Long live Indonesia; Long live Papua" students tried to march to the presidential palace in Jakarta, but were stopped by police.

Spokesman for the West Papua People's United Struggle, Arkilaus Baho, says the security forces are committing human rights abuses against the civilian⁵ population.

He says the students are demanding the closure of the U.S-owned Freeport mine in Papua, the withdrawal⁶ of the military and police from the province, and a full investigation into human rights abuses there.

Eki, an international spokesman for the West Papuan Student Movement says that, contrary to media reports, the students do not intend to use violence to gain their objectives.

"West Papuans are not savages⁷ or animals that we have been portrayed⁹ in the Indonesian media lately," he said.  "We want to portray⁸ to the world that our movement, the West Papua Student Movement is a non-violent movement and that we are not only organized, but understand that violence is not going to solve our issues."

Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyno, on a visit to Papua, denied his troops were committing human rights abuses and warned outsiders against meddling¹⁰ in the country's internal affairs.

Mr. Yudhoyono's warning came as Australian officials were investigating reports that a Papuan activist¹¹ and his family had landed in northern Australia.

Last month the Australian government granted temporary visas to 42 Papuans who fled their homeland accusing the Indonesian security forces of committing genocide in the province.

Jakarta recalled its ambassador to Canberra after the visas were granted.

But Australian Prime Minister John Howard says he does not think ties have been seriously damaged.

"Clearly this has caused a strain in the relationship, but I don't regard it as in any way fatal," he said.

Papua, one of Indonesia's poorest and most remote provinces, has seen an upswing in unrest recently.

Last month, four members of the security forces were killed after armed police clashed with protesters demanding the closure of the Freeport mine, the world's largest gold and copper mine.  Papuans claim they see little of the wealth the mine generates.

The U.S.-based organization Human Rights Watch says the escalating¹² violence in Papua should be independently investigated, but that this is impossible at present because Indonesia has denied journalists and other independent monitors access to the region.

1 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

4 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

7 savages   

未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There're some savages living in the forest. 森林里居住着一些野人。
• That's an island inhabited by savages. 那是一个野蛮人居住的岛屿。

8 portray   

v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)

参考例句：

• It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。
• Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？

9 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 meddling   

v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
• They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

11 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。

12 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句