VOA标准英语2014--泰国遣返缅甸难民

 

AS IT IS 2014-07-17 Thailand to Return Myanmar Refugees 泰国遣返缅甸难民

Thailand’s military government says it has reached an agreement with Myanmar, also known as Burma, for the return of refugees. The agreement calls for as many as 130,000 people to be sent back to Myanmar.  The refugees fled violence and conflict in that country over many years.

Rights activists² oppose the move. They say refugees should not be returned until security and Myanmar’s economy have improved.

General Prayuth Chan-ocha leads Thailand.  He has said Thailand would work with Myanmar to help the refugees that live in camps along their shared border. The General says human rights laws will be respected in the action.

The refugees are mostly ethnic³ Karen from Myanmar.  Others are members of the Karenni and Shan groups. The groups have fought the Thai government for more self-rule.  Most groups have reached agreements with the government to end the conflicts. But not all members feel it is safe for them to return.

Rights groups also say they are worried about the refugees’ return.  They say some of the land traditionally held by the groups has been seized.  Land mines are also a danger in these areas.

Bo Kyi is an activist¹ who has campaigned for the release of political prisoners in Myanmar.  Bo Kyi says the border areas are not secure.

“Sending back refugees to Burma is really dangerous for most of the refugees because Burma did not get peace and we don’t know then there will be another conflict in Karen state. Burma is not ready for job creation for those returning refugees.”

Thailand’s former civilian⁴ government had talked about returning refugees. But the little progress made only followed strong international criticism.

Debbie Stothard is a spokeswoman for the rights group Alternative ASEAN Network. She says the Thai military has shown it wants to solve the refugee problem since it seized power in May.

“Now I think there’s quite a strong fear that this is going to happen especially because the U.N. and international agencies have been working on this. But the situation is still extremely fragile and dangerous. We’re actually seeing more people displaced. And if you happen to be a refugee of Muslim background then you are particularly vulnerable.”

Violence began two years ago in ethnic Rohingya areas of Myanmar. Tensions have increased between Buddhists⁵ and Muslims since that time.

Ms. Stothard says refugees fear they will be harmed by the Myanmar military. She says the military violates the rights of members of ethnic groups and has not been punished for such actions.  She says that is why many people fled in the past.

Blooming Night Zan is a spokesperson for the Karen Refugee Committee.  She says the group is worried about the lack of information about plans to return the refugees to Myanmar.

Rights groups are calling on the United Nations refugee agency to closely watch the situation. They say it may be too early to return the refugees to Myanmar because of cuts in aid to that country. They also say there need to be more political reforms in Myanmar.

1 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。

2 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》

3 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。

4 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

5 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