VOA标准英语2009年-Former Thai PM Supporters Hold Rally in Bangkok

Government opponents and supporters of Thailand's former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, launched a rally by blockading the government's main administrative¹ building and calling for Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to resign. The rallies appear to be part of a new strategy by Thaksin supporters to weaken the Abhisit government that came to power in December.
　
Anti-government rally in Bangkok, 24 Feb 2009

Rousing speeches and stirring march music were the backdrop as nearly 20,000 government opponents and supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra staged a rally and blockade of the government's main administrative building in Bangkok.

About 3,000 police were deployed² around the building with a further 2,000 army troops on standby.

The rally was organized by the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship, whose supporters dress in red.

Khun Wachara said he was protesting the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, which came to power in December. Mr. Abhisit formed a coalition³ government after court decisions banned several ministers in a pro-Thaksin government.

"We would like to promote democracy process in Thailand. We would like to protest injustice⁴ and unfair government in the parliament," he said. "We want to show general people that most of Thai people do not like the illegal government, do not like the illegal movement that destroy democracy, destroy the rule of law."

Ousted⁵ in a coup⁶ in 2006, Thaksin-backed parties won general elections in December 2007. He fled Thailand last year before a corruption⁷ court verdict that sentenced him to two years jail.

Efforts by pro-Thaksin governments to rehabilitate⁸ the former prime minister and supporters from political bans and court cases met with resistance and protests in Bangkok.

The People's Alliance for Democracy launched protests in May last year against the pro-Thaksin government. These included occupying the government house compound for more than three months as well as the two main airports in Bangkok for more than a week.

Thailand's urban middle class accuses Thaksin and his government of corruption and abuse of power. But he remains⁹ popular among rural workers and urban poor due to his populist economic policies.

Protester Chirowat Upapong says he hopes Thaksin will return soon.

"I hope he will come back, come back again soon," said Chirowat. "Most of the people respect him so much and he has the power can make clear every problem in my country."

Rally protesters are pressing for the government's resignation as well as prosecution¹⁰ of leaders from last year's rallies. The current government has allowed Thai police to issue warrants against 21 key leaders in last year's rallies.

Thailand is to host a South East Asian leaders summit later this week. The ASEAN meeting had been postponed¹¹ last year due to the protests.

1 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

2 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

3 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

4 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

5 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。

6 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。

7 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。

8 rehabilitate   

vt.改造(罪犯)，修复；vi.复兴，(罪犯)经受改造

参考例句：

• There was no money to rehabilitate the tower.没有资金修复那座塔。
• He used exercise programmes to rehabilitate the patients.他采用体育锻炼疗法使患者恢复健康。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

11 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。