VOA常速英语2007年-Indonesia Increases Security Ahead of Christmas

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Jakarta
24 December 2007

Indonesian security forces increased security across the archipelago as Christians¹ in this Muslim majority country prepare to celebrate the Christmas holiday. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins in Jakarta has more.

Officials have tightened² security at churches, malls, and tourism sites as Christians prepare to celebrate Christmas in Indonesia, a secular³ nation with the world's largest population of Muslims.

More soldiers and policemen are visible, bags are checked at entrances and exits, and cars are checked for the possible carrying of explosive devices.

As the strains of Christmas music play at this mall in Jakarta, Ika brings her young child to see Santa Claus. She says security is always a concern during Christmas, but she is confident all necessary precautions have been taken.

"We believe that our church has already given us, has provide a good security system and we tend to be prepared. Like we do not go on the Christmas night, but instead we go on the morning mass on the 25th, so it's more or less like anticipating things," she said.

The Southeast Asia terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah, or JI, has been blamed for a series of bombings in Indonesia that have claimed the lives of over 200 people.

These attacks include the church bombings across the country on Christmas Eve in 2000, the bombing of the JW Mariott Hotel and outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta in 2004, and the bombings in Bali in 2002 and 2005.

Indonesian authorities have arrested and prosecuted⁵ over 300 Islamic militants⁶ for the roles they played in these terrorist attacks and two of the 2002 Bali bombers⁷ are currently on death row waiting execution.

Ken⁴ Conboy, an author and expert on JI, notes there has not been a terrorist attack in Indonesia in more than two years but says extra security during the Christmas holidays is needed as a precaution.

"There has been a history on years past of either attempted or terrorist type acts in the capital but we're going on two plus years now without any kind of Jemaah Islamiyah type of attack, that's not too bad," Conboy said. "I asked around just this past week to some of the security officials I know and they said they've got no breaking news on any imminent⁸ threat in the capital. They're going to be cautious, they're just doing it as a precaution that's become standard now."

Officials say the extra security forces, which include extra police and military personnel, will remain in place until after the New Year celebration.

1 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

2 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

3 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

4 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

5 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

6 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

7 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。