VOA标准英语2009年-ASEAN Summit Ends With Pledge to Build Fle

By Daniel Schearf
Hua Hin, Thailand
26 October 2009

Meetings of Southeast Asian leaders and their dialogue partners have ended with a pledge to build a more flexible economic community that is less dependent on the United States.  There were also some hopeful signs of political change in military-run Burma.

Representatives form 16 countries wrapped up three days of meetings on regional cooperation in which they agreed East Asia needs a new economic structure that is less dependent on exports to the United States.

The Association of Southeast Nations has 10 members - Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam - which met with dialogue partners Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea for an East Asia Summit.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the 16 nations discussed establishing an East Asia free-trade agreement.  He said they also heard proposals by Japan and Australia for building a wider asian bloc¹. 

Japan has indicated it wants the United States to play a strong role in the region, perhaps as a member of the pan-Asian bloc.

But, Mr. Abhisit said Japan was merely stressing the need for a continuing evolution in East Asian ties. "What important for us is that we move in the right direction, that we keep our minds open to suggestions and that we will move in a practical and pragmatic way to most effectively address whatever challenges are posed to the region as a whole," he said.

One of ASEAN's ongoing² challenges has been dealing³ with the embarrassment⁴ of member Burma's human-rights abuses.

Burma's military government does not tolerate dissent⁵ and has kept democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi locked up for most of the pst two decades.

But Mr. Abhisit said Burma's Prime Minister Thein Sein indicated Aung San Suu Kyi may be allowed to play a role in Burma's politics. "He briefed us on some of the dialogue that is taking place and he feels optimistic that she can also contribute to the process of reconciliation," he said.

Aung San Suu Kyi recently offered to help Burma's military government get sanctions against it lifted.

The United States has changed its Burma policy to include not just sanctions, but also dialogue and is sending diplomats⁶ to Burma in the coming weeks.

Japanese officials earlier quoted Thein Sein as telling ASEAN leaders some of the restrictions⁷ on Aung San Suu Kyi could be lifted if she behaved.  It was not clear what Burma's military government wants from the Nobel prize winner. 

The annual meetings of Southeast Asian leaders and their dialogue partners inaugurated the region's first human-rights body, which could take up the Burma issue.

But the ASEAN intergovernmental commission on human rights does not have the power to punish rights violators, a weakness that rights groups heavily criticized.  They also criticized ASEAN's unwillingness⁸ to take a firmer stand on Burma.

Also on Sunday, ASEAN signed a series of agreements with China on standards, regulations, and protection of intellectual property rights.

ASEAN signed more than 40 agreements throughout the weekend, including some on expanding trade, fighting climate change, improving food security and emergency response to natural disasters.

Thailand will officially turn over the hosting of ASEAN meetings to Vietnam at the end of this year.

 

1 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

2 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

5 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

6 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

8 unwillingness   

n. 不愿意，不情愿

参考例句：

• Her unwillingness to answer questions undermined the strength of her position. 她不愿回答问题，这不利于她所处的形势。
• His apparent unwillingness would disappear if we paid him enough. 如果我们付足了钱，他露出的那副不乐意的神情就会消失。