VOA标准英语2009年-Guinea Military Bans 'Subversive' Meetings

（单词翻译）

By Scott Stearns
Dakar
30 September 2009

Guinea's military government says it will not allow any gatherings¹ that could threaten public safety, following the killing² of at least 157 people protesting the expected candidacy of the country's military ruler. Military authorities are launching an investigation³ into the violence.

 
Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, attends a meeting at Camp Alpha Yaya Diallo military camp in Conakry, Guinea (File)
Military ruler Captain Moussa Dadis Camara says the investigation will shed light on what he called "these tragic⁴ events which threaten social peace."

Speaking on state television, Captain Camara warned that opposition⁵ leaders found responsible for the violence would be punished. He says some of his political opponents are paying young people to incite⁶ violence. Captain Camara announced a ban on what he calls "any mass gatherings which are of a subversive⁷ nature."

Guinea's Interior Ministry⁸ says 57 people were killed in Monday's violence only four of them from gunshots. It says the rest were trampled⁹ or died of asphyxiation¹⁰.

Human rights groups in Guinea say at least 157 people were killed when members of the presidential guard shot into crowds of demonstrators at Conakry's main sports stadium.

The final death toll¹¹ may never be known, as soldiers have already collected bodies themselves rather than allow them to be counted at public morgues.

Captain Camara is trying to shift responsibility for the violence onto his political opponents, saying some of the crowds at Monday's unauthorized protest looted weapons from a police station.

But he is also trying to distance himself from his own presidential guard, saying he can not control elements of Guinea's military responsible for what he is calling "those atrocities¹²." He says he did not know what was happening at the stadium and wanted to go himself to see, but that it was not safe.

He says he is "very sorry" about the killing.  He says did not take power nine months ago to have a confrontation¹³ with the Guinean people. Captain Camara has visited some of the wounded in hospital and declared two days of national mourning.

It is the most violent repression¹⁴ of political dissent¹⁵ since last December's coup¹⁶ and comes just months before a presidential election in which Captain Camara is expected to be a candidate.

He has not yet formally launched his campaign, but has told supporters that he will not insult them by ignoring their demands that he run.

It is this expected candidacy that a coalition¹⁷ of political parties, civil society groups and trade unions were protesting Monday. The African Union says it will sanction Captain Camara, if he decides to run for president.

France has suspended military assistance to Guinea and says it is reviewing its entire bilateral¹⁸ aid package. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says the European Union is meeting Wednesday to consider additional measures that could be taken swiftly, particularly against individual members of Guinea's ruling military council.