VOA常速英语2007年-Crackdown in Pakistan Limits Press Freedoms

By Ayaz Gul
Islamabad
15 November 2007
 

When President Pervez Musharraf suspended Pakistan's constitution early in November, he also clamped down on independent news reporting.  The government shut down TV stations, stopped foreign cable newscasts and imposed a new law governing the content of news reports.  Those found guilty could go to prison for up to three years, pay heavy fines and find their broadcasting licenses¹ suspended. VOA's Ayaz Gul reports citizens and journalists are protesting the bans.

"We want freedom!  We want freedom!"

Demonstrators at an Islamabad rally demand President Pervez Musharraf reverse sweeping² curbs³ he imposed on the privately⁴ owned TV networks when he suspended the constitution.

The government also stopped cable operators from broadcasting both local and international news channels in Pakistan -- and just this week stopped imports of satellite receivers.

Journalists are staging daily protests.  Talat Hussain is with the private AAJ-TV Network. "The media may have made mistakes but no mistake justifies⁵ shutting down the media like this government has done," he says.

Dan Harris, who works for a U.S. TV network, says the restrictions⁶ on press freedom are wrong. "I am journalist so I believe there should be no restrictions on the media unless there are grave national security concerns."

Naseem Zehra is a columnist⁷ at an independently owned newspaper in Pakistan. “This is a landmark⁸ movement for the freedom of media and it has never happened before that with just one stroke of an axe⁹ the freedom of press has been suppressed."

Media owners say the government requires them to sign a "code of conduct" before returning to air.

A new law makes it illegal to report critically about the government policies, discuss Supreme¹⁰ Court cases challenging Musharraf's re-election as president, and broadcast live coverage¹¹ of anti-government protests.  The law outlaws¹² content judged to be defamation¹³ of the president and other key government officials.

Private television networks flourished after General Musharraf seized power in a military coup¹⁴ in 1999, the president publicly encouraging a free press.  But media reports have been highly critical of General Musharraf after he tried to remove the country's chief justice in March.  General Musharraf says the new regulations are meant to encourage what he calls "responsible journalism¹⁵".

"I am for independence of the media and that is what I gave to the media in Pakistan,” said the president. “Do please criticize the government, do please criticize me but there has to be checks on defamation by design."

Tahira Abdullah is a civil rights activist¹⁶. "Who shall define what responsibility means?  Who shall define what the code of conduct will have in it?  Who shall define what is acceptable and unacceptable to the government of Pakistan?  This is value-laden, judgmental and subjective¹⁷. We reject it in its entirety."

There are more than 70 million cell phone users in the country, many with text messaging that enables Pakistanis to pass around information.  Former General Talat Masood says the phones can bring news to users despite the government ban on independent media. "It (the ban) will give rise to a lot of rumor¹⁸ mongering because whenever there is an information vacuum or credibility vacuum, then rumors¹⁹ become afloat and the government will very much greatly suffer as a result of that.

Critics of the government say that if the ban on media is not lifted, informal news suppliers will grow in power, and some of them will provide unreliable information to millions of Pakistanis.

1 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

2 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

3 curbs   

v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In executing his functions he is not bound by any legal curbs on his power. 在他履行职务时，他的权力是不受任何法律约束的。 来自辞典例句
• Curbs on air travel were being worked out and would shortly be announced. 限制航空旅行的有关规定正在拟定中，不久即将公布。 来自辞典例句

4 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

5 justifies   

证明…有理( justify的第三人称单数 )； 为…辩护； 对…作出解释； 为…辩解（或辩护）

参考例句：

• Their frequency of use both justifies and requires the memorization. 频繁的使用需要记忆，也促进了记忆。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• In my judgement the present end justifies the means. 照我的意见，只要目的正当，手段是可以不计较的。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。

8 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

9 axe   

n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减

参考例句：

• Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利，你要当心。
• The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。

10 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。

11 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。

12 outlaws   

歹徒，亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 )； 逃犯

参考例句：

• During his year in the forest, Robin met many other outlaws. 在森林里的一年，罗宾遇见其他许多绿林大盗。
• I didn't have to leave the country or fight outlaws. 我不必离开自己的国家，也不必与不法分子斗争。

13 defamation   

n.诽谤；中伤

参考例句：

• Character defamation can be either oral or written.人格诽谤既可以是口头的也可以是书面的。
• The company sued for defamation.这个公司因受到诽谤而提起诉讼。

14 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

15 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

16 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。

17 subjective   

a.主观(上)的，个人的

参考例句：

• The way they interpreted their past was highly subjective. 他们解释其过去的方式太主观。
• A literary critic should not be too subjective in his approach. 文学评论家的看法不应太主观。

18 rumor   

n.谣言，谣传，传说

参考例句：

• The rumor has been traced back to a bad man.那谣言经追查是个坏人造的。
• The rumor has taken air.谣言流传开了。

19 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》