VOA标准英语2008年-Human Right Watch Accuses Indian Anti-Maoist Gr

A human rights group has accused a state-backed, anti-Maoist group of widespread rights abuses against villagers in central India. Anjana Pasricha has a report from New Delhi.

In a new report, Human Rights Watch says attacks by government-backed, tribal¹ militias² on villagers suspected of supporting Maoist rebels have forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes in the central Indian state, Chattisgarh.
　
Police officers and people pay respects as the dead bodies of the police personnel killed in Maoist attacks in India (File)

The state government denies supporting the militias and says the "Salwa Judum" or Campaign for Peace, is a spontaneous citizens movement that grew three years ago, in response to extortion, torture and other atrocities³ committed by Maoist rebels.

But Human Rights Watch says what may have begun as a spontaneous protest is now "out of control."

Jo Becker of Human Rights Watch says the group found clear evidence that the Salwa Judum movement is supported by the government and that, along with government forces, it is responsible for numerous attacks targeting innocent civilians⁴.

"We found that police officers had been witnessed committing killings⁶, beatings, rapes⁷, destruction of houses and forcible displacement⁸ of thousands of villagers from Chattisgarh," said Becker.
　
Tribals guarded by the Salwa Judum are seen at a refugee camp in Dantewada district, in the central Indian state of Chattisgarh (File)

The report says at least 100,000 people have lost homes and livelihoods⁹ and been pushed into refugee camps amid spiraling violence that has seen Maoist rebels retaliate¹⁰ by attacking and killing⁵ Salwa Judum recruits.

Jo Becker says innocent villagers are caught in the crossfire¹¹ between the Salwa Judum and the Maoists, known as Naxalites in India.

"They have been pressured to support the Naxalites, on the one hand, and the Salwa Judum or the government, on the other hand. And, if they refuse to cooperate with one, then they are assumed to be sympathetic to the other. Asking one side for safety puts them at risk of attack by the other," added Becker.

Human Rights Watch is asking the state government to end support for the movement, investigate rights abuses and protect villagers who want to return home.

The state government denies supporting the "Salwa Judum," a movement which was initially¹² intended to starve the Maoists of their support in the region.

Chattisgarh is one of India's poorer states. The rebels have become deeply entrenched¹³ in its thick forests.

A violent campaign by Maoist rebels, who say they are fighting for the rights of the rural poor, has gathered momentum¹⁴ in recent years in Eastern and Central India.

　

 

1 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

2 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

3 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

7 rapes   

n.芸苔( rape的名词复数 )；强奸罪；强奸案；肆意损坏v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的第三人称单数 )；强奸

参考例句：

• The man who had committed several rapes was arrested. 那个犯了多起强奸案的男人被抓起来了。 来自辞典例句
• The incidence of reported rapes rose 0.8 percent. 美国联邦调查局还发布了两份特别报告。 来自互联网

8 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

9 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

10 retaliate   

v.报复，反击

参考例句：

• He sought every opportunity to retaliate against his enemy.他找机会向他的敌人反击。
• It is strictly forbidden to retaliate against the quality inspectors.严禁对质量检验人员进行打击报复。

11 crossfire   

n.被卷进争端

参考例句：

• They say they are caught in the crossfire between the education establishment and the government.他们称自己被卷进了教育机构与政府之间的争端。
• When two industrial giants clash,small companies can get caught in the crossfire.两大工业企业争斗之下，小公司遭受池鱼之殃。

12 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

13 entrenched   

adj.确立的，不容易改的(风俗习惯)

参考例句：

• Television seems to be firmly entrenched as the number one medium for national advertising.电视看来要在全国广告媒介中牢固地占据头等位置。
• If the enemy dares to attack us in these entrenched positions,we will make short work of them.如果敌人胆敢进攻我们固守的阵地，我们就消灭他们。

14 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。