2007年VOA标准英语-Burma Detains Activists Praying for Aung San Su

By Ron Corben
Bangkok
16 May 2007

Burmese authorities have been arresting activists² and opposition³ party members in the commercial capital Rangoon, as they staged vigils for the release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. As Ron Corben reports from Bangkok, about 50 people have been detained in recent days.

The authorities moved quickly to detain activists Wednesday as they prayed for the release from house arrest of Burma's Nobel laureate and opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Witnesses say police moved in as the group prayed at a Buddhist⁴ pagoda⁵ on the outskirts⁶ of Rangoon. Other activists had been detained on Tuesday as they tried to hold similar vigils.

Among those detained was labor⁷ activist¹ Su Su Nway.

The latest protests came after the opposition National League for Democracy forwarded a letter to the military government's leader, General Than Shwe, asking that Aung San Suu Kyi be released.

Debbie Stothardt from the human rights group, Alternative ASEAN Network, says the arrests highlight the military's fears of any opposition.

"They are extremely afraid of any sort of organized action, so that just the mere⁸ act of praying for Aung San Suu Kyi's release becomes a very big threat," said Stothardt. "The regime is very, very fragile. They are on the defensive⁹ because they have been targeted for criticism by their own people on economic grounds and on political grounds."

Protesters shout slogans for better living conditions while holding placards near a market in central Rangoon, 22 Feb 2007

Burma's economy is one of the poorest in Southeast Asia, and it has been hurt by rising costs linked to higher global fuel prices. In February a brief protest was held in central Rangoon over high prices and to call for improved health care, education and pension benefits.

This week's arrests came as almost 60 former world leaders called for Aung San Suu Kyi's immediate¹⁰ and unconditional¹¹ release from house arrest. The former leaders include Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton from the United States, former Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, and Kim Dae-jung of South Korea.

The current detention¹² order for Aung San Suu Kyi is to expire on May 27, but it may be extended by the military as it was last year.

May 27 is also the anniversary of Burma's last general elections in 1990, when the National League for Democracy won a landslide¹³ victory, but the military refused to allow the party to take power.

Aung San Suu Kyi has spent 11 of the past 17 years in detention, despite regular calls for her freedom and her party's requests for a dialogue with the military on political reform.

1 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。

2 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》

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

5 pagoda   

n.宝塔（尤指印度和远东的多层宝塔），（印度教或佛教的）塔式庙宇

参考例句：

• The ancient pagoda is undergoing repairs.那座古塔正在修缮中。
• The pagoda is reflected upside down in the water.宝塔影子倒立在水里。

6 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

7 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

8 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

9 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

10 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

11 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。

12 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。

13 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。