2007年VOA标准英语-Rebels Call for Peace Talks as Fighting Rages i

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
25 September 2007

Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka have urged the international community to step up pressure on the government to halt military operations against them. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the call comes as at least 19 rebels were killed and 36 others wounded in heavy fighting in the north of the country.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Tamil Tiger guerrillas asked the international community to "rein¹ in the government in Colombo" and ensure it honors a 2002 truce².

The Tamil Tigers accused the government of pursuing a military campaign to defeat the guerrillas.

The call for peace by the rebels came just days after Sri Lanka's defense³ secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapakse, offered to halt military action against the rebels if they agreed to peace talks.

However, the head of Colombo's National Peace Council, Jehan Perra, says both the rebels and the government are merely paying "lip service" to the cause of peace. He says neither side is inclined to return to negotiations⁴, which broke down last October.

"One part of the strategy they have is to claim to the international community that they are interested in restarting the peace process and stopping the fighting. But on the ground the reality is otherwise," he said. "Both sides are engaging in hostilities⁵. At the present time, it is the government that is engaging in offensive military operations. The government has the advantage."

Political analysts⁶ say the government wants to inflict⁷ a military defeat on the rebels before it negotiates on their core demand for an autonomous⁸ homeland for the minority Tamil community in the north and east.

Military officials say that dozens of rebels have been killed or wounded in a series of clashes in the north in recent days. Some of the heaviest fighting was reported in Mannar district. Several soldiers were also wounded.

In the past month, the scene of fighting has moved to the north where the rebels have their main bases. Earlier in the year, the government drove the Tigers out of the eastern areas they had controlled for over a decade.

Sri Lanka's civil war resumed early last year after four years of relative peace that followed the signing of a truce in 2002. The fighting has dragged on for nearly a quarter of a century and claimed more than 60,000 lives.

1 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

2 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

6 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

7 inflict   

vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担

参考例句：

• Don't inflict your ideas on me.不要把你的想法强加于我。
• Don't inflict damage on any person.不要伤害任何人。

8 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。