VOA标准英语2009年-US Diplomats Urge Burma's Military to Talk

By Daniel Schearf
Bangkok
05 November 2009

Senior U.S. officials have urged Burma's military government to talk with opposition¹ groups before next year's controversial elections. The call for dialogue came during the highest-level visit by U.S. diplomats³ to Burma in more than a decade.

 
US Ambassador for ASEAN Affairs Scot Marciel speaks during a news conference at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, 05 Nov 2009
A day after leaving Burma, diplomat² Scott Marciel says the message was made clear to Burma's military leaders: the United States is willing to improve relations, but only if there is progress on democracy in the country.

Marciel, a deputy assistant secretary of State and his boss, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell spent two days meeting with Burma's military and democracy leaders.

Thursday in Bangkok, Marciel said they urged the Burmese to begin a dialogue with the opposition National League for Democracy before next year's elections.

"The NLD, ethnic⁴ minority groups - many of whom have strong views about the constitution - and the government have to sit down and try to find a way ahead. And, I think we have to leave it to them to decide on the details of that," said Marciel. "But, I don't see any way forward without that kind of dialogue."

The government plans to hold Burma's first election in two decades next year, but the new constitution ensures the military stays in power.

Marciel says the constitution is "seriously flawed" and the NLD needs to be involved in next year's elections for them to be credible⁵.

The NLD won Burma's last elections in 1990 but the military ignored the results. It now holds more than 2,000 political prisoners, including NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

He gave no details on the Burmese comments during the meetings and would not say if there were indications the government might release Aung San Suu Kyi.

"It really doesn't matter what the Burmese government says so much as what it does," he said. "They release her or they don't…. There's been talk a bit, them hinting here and there. That's not particularly useful. Either they release her or they don't."

The U.S. diplomats met with Aung San Suu Kyi and Marciel says they urged the government to allow her to regularly meet with her NLD colleagues.

The meetings were the highest-level U.S.-Burma dialogue in 14 years and part of Washington's move from a policy of isolation⁶ to engaging the military government.

Marciel says President Obama will appoint a special envoy⁷ to Burma.

Mr. Obama meets next week with leaders of Southeast Asian nations, including Burma, at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum⁸ in Singapore.

Marciel says he does not expect any high-level dialogue with Burmese leaders, but says lower-level officials could hold informal talks.

1 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。

2 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

3 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》

4 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

5 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

6 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

7 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

8 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。