VOA标准英语2009年-Obama: Suu Kyi Sentencing 'Unjust,' Urges

President Barack Obama said Tuesday the Burmese decision to extend democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest for another 18 months is unjust and called for her immediate¹, unconditional² release. Officials say the trial outcome will have a negative impact on the administration's review of policy towards Burma.
　
Burmese activists³ hold a banner calling for the immediate release of detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a protest outside the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, 11 Aug 2009

The Obama administration has been reviewing its approach to Burma with the possibility of greater engagement with the military authorities there. But officials say the conviction and sentencing of Aung San Suu Kyi Tuesday for violating terms of her long-running house arrest can only negatively affect those deliberations.

President Obama set the tone of U.S. reaction with a written statement calling the conviction of the Burmese democracy leader unjust and a violation⁴ of international human rights principles and Burmese commitments under the ASEAN charter.

The latest case against the democracy leader followed a bizarre incident involving an American citizen who made an uninvited visit to her home in May.

The President called the sentencing of the American defendant⁵ in the case, John Yettaw, to seven years in prison for the home invasion out of proportion with his actions. He urged the release of all of Burma's political prisoners, believed to number more than 2000.

At the State Department, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P.J. Crowley said Aung San Suu Kyi, who allowed Yettaw to enter her home after he swam across a lake to the guarded compound, had been in essence "convicted of being polite."

Crowley said the sentence is a thinly-veiled effort by military authorities to keep Aung San Suu Kyi sidelined for elections planned for next year.

He said unless she is released along with other political detainees, the elections will have "absolutely no legitimacy," and he suggested the country's rulers have an irrational⁶ fear of the diminutive⁷ political figure.

"They are afraid of a 64-year-old woman who probably weighs barely 100 pounds. But what she represents is an idea that this is government by the people, and on behalf of the people rather than government by the few for the benefit of a few," said Assistant Secretary of State Crowley. "And clearly like we have in many other circumstances, there is an opportunity for a different kind of relationship by Burma, with not only with the United States, but the rest of the international, and clearly we feel this is a step in the wrong direction."

Crowley said he did not want to prejudge the outcome of the administration's Burma policy review but said the sentencing of Aung San Suu Kyi, which came despite appeals for dismissal of the charges by Secretary of State Clinton- will have a negative impact on those deliberations.

Clinton attended an international dialogue with ASEAN foreign ministers in Thailand late last month and in a conciliatory gesture, members of her delegation⁸ met with Burmese officials there.

Spokesman Crowley, under questioning, said talk of new sanctions against Burma was premature⁹ and that the United States will be consulting with regional allies and countries with influence with Burma, including China, on the way forward in the aftermath of the trial.

Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy party won elections in 1990, but was barred by the military from taking power, has been under various forms of detention¹⁰ most of the time since then. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

The United States maintains diplomatic relations with Burma, but at a sub-ambassadorial level. The Bush administration imposed a near-total trade ban on Burma because of its human rights record in 2003, and President Obama extended the ban for another year in May.

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

5 defendant   

n.被告；adj.处于被告地位的

参考例句：

• The judge rejected a bribe from the defendant's family.法官拒收被告家属的贿赂。
• The defendant was borne down by the weight of evidence.有力的证据使被告认输了。

6 irrational   

adj.无理性的，失去理性的

参考例句：

• After taking the drug she became completely irrational.她在吸毒后变得完全失去了理性。
• There are also signs of irrational exuberance among some investors.在某些投资者中是存在非理性繁荣的征象的。

7 diminutive   

adj.小巧可爱的，小的

参考例句：

• Despite its diminutive size,the car is quite comfortable.尽管这辆车很小，但相当舒服。
• She has diminutive hands for an adult.作为一个成年人，她的手显得非常小。

8 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

9 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

10 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。