VOA常速英语2007年-Thousands of Malaysian Indians Protest Discrimi

By Heda Bayron
Hong Kong
25 November 2007

Malaysian police broke up a protest against discrimination by 10,000 ethnic¹ Indians. As VOA's Heda Bayron reports from our Asia News Center in Hong Kong, this is the latest protest to fray² Malaysia's tightly controlled and racially divided society.

Despite roadblocks and police warnings that the protest was illegal, thousands of Malaysian Indians gathered Sunday in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

They wanted to march to the British embassy, blaming Britain for what they call discrimination against ethnic Indians in Malaysia.

Instead like slaves in this country. We [were] born here, our children born here. What is going on in this country?"" said a protester, who says the situation has persisted under the current Malay-dominated Malaysian government. 

Race is a sensitive issue in Malaysia. Under Malaysia's Constitution, ethnic Malays receive preference over other ethnic groups in business, education and jobs in the civil service.

Indians comprise the third largest ethnic group in Malaysia.

Sunday's protest is not only stoking racial tensions in Malaysia, but also testing the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.

On Sunday, an ethnic Indian Malaysian minister, Samy Vellu, denounced the protest as a "ploy³ to smear⁴ the government's name".

Earlier this month, thousands rallied in Kuala Lumpur to demand electoral reforms.

On Friday, activists⁵ from the Hindu Rights Action Force, which organized Sunday's protest, were arrested for sedition⁶.

Although in principle Malaysians are allowed freedom of expression, assemblies of more than five people need a permit, which is hard to get.

1 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。

2 fray   

v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗

参考例句：

• Why should you get involved in their fray?你为什么要介入他们的争吵呢？
• Tempers began to fray in the hot weather.大热天脾气烦燥。

3 ploy   

n.花招，手段

参考例句：

• I think this is just a government ploy to deceive the public.我认为这只是政府欺骗公众的手段。
• Christmas should be a time of excitement and wonder,not a cynical marketing ploy.圣诞节应该是兴奋和美妙的时刻，而不该是一种肆无忌惮的营销策略。

4 smear   

v.涂抹；诽谤，玷污；n.污点；诽谤，污蔑

参考例句：

• He has been spreading false stories in an attempt to smear us.他一直在散布谎言企图诽谤我们。
• There's a smear on your shirt.你衬衫上有个污点。

5 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》

6 sedition   

n.煽动叛乱

参考例句：

• Government officials charged him with sedition.政府官员指控他煽动人们造反。
• His denial of sedition was a denial of violence.他对煽动叛乱的否定又是对暴力的否定。