VOA标准英语2009年-Thai Military Tries to Win Over Muslims in

By Daniel Schearf
Southern Thailand
21 September 2009

 
Checkpoint in Southern Thailand
The Thai military has been engaging more with Muslim communities and has turned to community development projects in attempt to win over the hearts and minds of locals. But rights groups say emergency laws allow security forces to abuse some basic rights of the Thai people, and that the injustices¹ are encouraging the rebellion.

Thailand has an estimated 60,000 security personnel in the deep south - a region where separatist insurgents² have been attacking Thai Buddhists³ whom they view as occupiers. The region was, until a century ago, an independent Malay sultanate.

But in their efforts to wipe out the rebels, rights groups say some Thai security forces have resorted to harassment⁴, torture and even murder. Ismael Thahe got a taste of this one night last year when soldiers showed up at his meeting of student activists⁶.

"They tried to force us to confess to many incidents that had taken place in the area. I refused and said I was just a student activist⁵ and helping⁷ people. They accused me of misleading and recruiting people to fight against them. Then they took a stick as big as this, wrapped fabric⁸ around it, and beat me until I was bruised," he said.

A group of Thai soldiers is driving through a hostile Muslim neighborhood in southern Pattani province, but they are not looking for the region's rebels and their supporters. Violence in the area has scared off government social workers, says Lieutenant⁹ Jadenipit Somboonwattana, so the military has stepped in to help, and to improve the negative image of Thai authorities. "We have an important duty to adjust villagers' attitudes, to build a good image of officials that will lead to more tasks and villagers helping us with information," he said.

Thai soldiers have been engaging with Muslim Malay communities and supporting numerous development projects like a tailor training center, where they provide 20 sewing machines to teach Muslim women how to make clothes.

Harafin Yusuf, a villager who works for the center, says the military's support will help the women earn money for their families. "This center creates jobs for the community, and trains those who have no skills to do the job. I hope to expand from this village to other villages so we can make more job opportunities throughout the community," Yusuf said.

Despite the Thai army's efforts to help some Malay villages, activists say harassment of Muslims is common, and emergency laws meant to help end the insurgency¹⁰ allow security forces who commit abuses to escape prosecution¹¹.

Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, who is with the Cross Cultural Foundation, an organization that helps try to find justice for victims of abuse by security forces, says they are receiving fewer complaints than past years, but that authorities are still not making efforts to reconcile past injustices. "The way that the government dealing¹² with the past violation¹³, for us, is still not satisfying. It's not satisfied by the people. It's not satisfied by human rights activists. Impunity¹⁴ is still at large," Pompen said.

Lieutenant Somboonwattana hopes that by engaging with the Muslim Malay community, the army will build trust and reduce the number of rebel sympathizers.

1 injustices   

不公平( injustice的名词复数 )； 非正义； 待…不公正； 冤枉

参考例句：

• One who committed many injustices is doomed to failure. 多行不义必自毙。
• He felt confident that his injustices would be righted. 他相信他的冤屈会受到昭雪的。

2 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

3 Buddhists   

n.佛教徒( Buddhist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Jesuits in a phase of ascendancy, persecuted and insulted the Buddhists with great acrimony. 处于地位上升阶段的耶稣会修士迫害佛教徒，用尖刻的语言辱骂他们。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史
• The return of Saivite rule to central Java had brought no antagonism between Buddhists and Hindus. 湿婆教在中爪哇恢复统治后，并没有导致佛教徒与印度教徒之间的对立。 来自辞典例句

4 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

5 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

6 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》

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

9 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

10 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

11 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。

12 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。

13 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。

14 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。