VOA常速英语2007年-US Criticizes Vietnamese Detention of US Citize

By Matt Steinglass
Hanoi
11 December 2007

Vietnam has been holding four Vietnamese-born American citizens since late November, accusing them of terrorism. The U.S. ambassador to Hanoi has criticized Vietnam's conduct in holding the U.S. citizens. Matt Steinglass reports for VOA from Hanoi.

Ambassador Michael Michalak says Vietnam has yet to announce any formal charges against the four U.S. citizens, and he disputed Vietnamese news accounts that accused them of involvement in terrorism.

"We see no information that would support charges of terrorism against these individuals that have been suggested by the local media," he said.

Two of the Americans, Quoc Quan Nguyen and Leon Trung, were arrested November 17 in Ho Chi Minh City, along with four other members of a U.S.-based Vietnamese exile group. The group, called the Viet Tan party, advocates multi-party democracy and an end to the Communist Party's exclusive rule in Vietnam.

Vietnam has long considered the Viet Tan party a terrorist organization, but Viet Tan officials says their methods are nonviolent. They say those arrested were discussing strategies for peaceful protests.

The other two Americans being held, Le Van Phan and Nguyen Thi Tin, were arrested November 23 at the Ho Chi Minh City airport, after a gun and ammunition¹ were reportedly found in their baggage.

At a news conference, the ambassador revealed a wide gap in Vietnamese and U.S. attitudes towards the case, with the Vietnamese believing that the Viet Tan are linked to terrorism.

VIETNAMESE REPORTER: "So if one member of al-Qaida, for example, came to America with a fake passport, and break the border law, and he says he is just non-violent, how do the law enforcement authorities in the United States deal with this case?"

MICHALAK: "In the United States, as in Vietnam, I think it is article 72 of the Constitution, a person is not considered guilty until the courts have made up their mind."

The detention² of the Vietnamese-Americans presents American diplomats³ with a dilemma⁴. The United States enjoys increasingly warm relations with Vietnam, and has been seeking Vietnamese cooperation on counterterrorism and nuclear nonproliferation.

But Ambassador Michalak says the United States will not accept arrests of Americans, or Vietnamese, merely for peacefully voicing their political opinions.

"We have said that if they are detained for peaceful [activities], we will protest if they are detained for peaceful expression of political views," he said.

The ambassador would not specify⁵ what measures the United States might take in response.

1 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

2 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

3 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

5 specify   

vt.指定，详细说明

参考例句：

• We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
• Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。