2006年VOA标准英语-EU Official Urges Jakarta to Speed Up Aceh

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Jakarta
21 April 2006

The European Union's foreign policy chief has urged Indonesia to speed the passage of an overdue¹ law for governing the province of Aceh, in accordance with a peace deal signed last year with separatist rebels.

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Javier Solana, left, speaks to the media as Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda, right, listen during a press conference   
  

The European Union's top foreign policy official, Javier Solana, during a visit to Jakarta Friday, said the EU is pleased with how well the peace deal is working in Aceh.

Nearly three decades of conflict ended in August, when the Indonesian government and Aceh rebels signed a peace accord.

The EU now heads the monitoring mission overseeing the peace process.

But, Solana says, the EU is concerned at the time parliament is taking to pass a key law for governing the province.

"We would like very much that, by the end of the month of June, the process will be over," he said. "We are concerned with the rhythm, at which the law is being discussed in the parliament, the law for the government of Aceh."

The law will allow the former rebels from the Free Aceh Movement the right to form their own political party - a key provision of the peace accord - as well as grant the province self government.

Under the peace accord, the law was supposed to be passed by the end of March.

Both the Indonesian government and the former rebels say they want the law speeded up, but neither considers the delay a breach² of the agreement.

Solana, who is in Indonesia on a three-day visit, will visit the tsunami-ravaged province of Aceh on Saturday to observe the reconstruction³ there and the monitoring mission.

Solana also said Friday that the EU supported the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in its efforts to push wayward member Burma, also known as Myanmar, toward democratic reform.

"We share the same frustration⁴, and we think that, together, we have to see how we can get Myanmar evolving in the direction that it was supposed to be evolving," he said. "It's a country that belongs to the region because of ASEAN, and it should be a country that has the same rules and the same behavior as the rest of the countries of ASEAN."

Solana made the remarks after ASEAN foreign ministers, meeting on the Indonesian island of Bali, announced they had failed to reach a consensus⁵ on how to push military-ruled Burma toward democracy.

1 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

2 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

3 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

4 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

5 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？