VOA标准英语10月-Thai Police Arrest Key Anti-Government Protest Le

Thai police have arrested key leaders of protests who have occupied a main government building in Bangkok since August 26. But as Ron Corben reports for VOA, analysts¹ warn the arrests mark a setback² in efforts to reconcile anti-government protesters and may lead to heightened political tensions in Thailand.
　

Anti-government supporters gather during a protest at Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, 05 Oct 2008

Former Bangkok governor Chumlong Srimuang is the second anti-government protest leader arrested on charges of insurrection. Thai police have issued arrest warrants for nine people on the charges that carry a maximum penalty of death if convicted.

The nine have been leading demonstrations³ for several months, but since August 26 protesters have occupied the main government administration building in Bangkok, forcing the government to relocate to temporary offices.

A member of the opposition⁴ Democrat⁵ Party, Kraisak Choonhavan, says the arrests mark a setback in efforts to negotiate with the government.

"The arrest of Mr. Chumlong, in fact both, has intensified⁶ the politics of Thailand and that the reconciliation⁷, which I thought was going well, but this is a major hiccup⁸ in a way that could in fact bring us to the brink⁹ of a crisis. The heat is really up and I truly feel very saddened by the situation," said Kraisak Choonhavan.

Chumlong also played a key role in anti-government protests in 1992 that led to a bloody¹⁰ crackdown by the military, leading to dozens killed and hundreds injured.

The current protests are led by the so-called People's Alliance for Democracy, which has accused the government that was elected last December of acting¹¹ as a proxy¹² for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He fled Thailand in August while facing charges of corruption¹³. Courts have since issued five arrest warrants for Thaksin.

Protests and street violence in early September led to a two-week state of emergency being declared in Bangkok. Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was forced to surrender the leadership in September on court charges of conflict of interest.

The new government leader, Somchai Wongsawat, a brother-in-law of Thaksin, had promised to promote reconciliation and talks with the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy. The Alliance, known as PAD, is reported to be calling for further protest support following the arrests.

An author and commentator¹⁴ on Thai politics, Chris Baker¹⁵, says the arrests could be attributed to Thaksin looking to re-exert his influence over the governing People's Power Party.

"The transition from Samak [Sundaravej] to Somchai [Wongsawat] was very much the reassertion of Thaksin's influence. So, one possibility is that Thaksin is driving a harder line on the PAD. It is certainly very strange given the way they were talking about reconciliation," said baker.

Thailand has been deeply divided politically since Thaksin came to power in 2001 backed by his populist policies that won strong support from the urban working class and rural low income earners.

But the urban middle class accused Thaksin, ousted¹⁶ in a 2006 coup¹⁷, of acting in an authoritarian¹⁸ manner by looking to concentrate power as well as widespread corruption in government.

1 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。

2 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

3 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

4 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。

5 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

6 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

8 hiccup   

n.打嗝

参考例句：

• When you have to hiccup,drink a glass of cold water.当你不得不打嗝时，喝一杯冷水就好了。
• How long did he hiccup?他打嗝打了多久？

9 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

10 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

11 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

12 proxy   

n.代理权，代表权；（对代理人的）委托书；代理人

参考例句：

• You may appoint a proxy to vote for you.你可以委托他人代你投票。
• We enclose a form of proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting.我们附上委任年度大会代表的表格。

13 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

14 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

15 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

16 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

17 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

18 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。