2006年VOA标准英语-Congo Trial Focuses Attention on Mining Industr

By Phuong Tran
Dakar
14 December 2006

A court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has postponed¹ the trial of several employees of an international mining company accused of helping² government soldiers carry out a brutal³ 2004 crackdown against a rebel group. For VOA, Phuong Tran reports from our Dakar bureau.

Nine soldiers from the Democratic Republic of Congo and three employees of the Anvil⁴ Mining Company went on trial in Lubumbashi this week.

They are charged with committing war crimes against civilians⁵ during an 2004 army crackdown against rebels in Congo's mineral rich Katanga region.

On Thursday, the military court adjourned⁶ the trial until the end of the month because the defense⁷ team was not able to notify three indicted⁸ mining company employees, who did not attend the trial.

The prosecution⁹ team has accused the soldiers of rape¹⁰, looting and summary executions of civilians. Anvil Mining Company, which has its headquarters in Canada and Australia, as well as an office in the DRC, is accused of helping the soldiers commit war crimes.

Dozens of civilians were reported killed in the fighting in October 2004 in the small fishing town of Kilwa.

The company was mining copper¹¹ near Kilwa at the time of the alleged¹² crimes. Legal counsel for the prosecution, Richard Meeran, describes how the mining employees assisted the soldiers.

"Vehicles of the company had been used by the military in carrying out human rights atrocities,' said Richard Meeran. "In particular, the company's charter planes had been used by the military to fly into the area and trucks owned by the company had been used by the military."

The company has admitted that it provided transportation to Congolese soldiers to get to Kilwa in 2004. Anvil's spokesman based in Canada, Robert La Vallière, did not respond to request for comment for this report.

Canadian media has quoted him saying that Anvil's employees were forced to give in to the Congolese government request. He is quoted as saying in an Ottawa newspaper that if the army arrives with AK-47s, you give them what they want.

Patricia Feeney is Executive Director of Rights and Accountability in Development, a British-based NGO that has been working on mining issues in the DRC since 2002. Her organization worked for two years with an international team of lawyers, human rights organizations and U.N. officials to bring this case to trial.

"We want to see justice done for the people of Kilwa and we want it to be made clear where companies have to draw the line in their relations with security forces," said Patricia Feeney.

Prosecution team member Richard Meeran says that the trial's outcome will be far reaching.

"This is a very important case not just for the victims and Anvil, but because of its wider implications for multinational¹³ companies operating in developing countries and, particularly, those in conflict zones," he said.

For Feeney, the case will address a question that is appropriate for the controversial mining industry, with its multiple multinational actors accused of carrying out harmful business practices.

"This is one of the burning issues in the business and human rights debate that is going on," she said. "Can businesses be held responsible for human rights violations¹⁴?"

Anvil Mining Company has substantial mineral interests in the DRC's Katanga region and is scheduled to start copper and silver production at two new mines next year.

1 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。

2 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。

3 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

4 anvil   

n.铁钻

参考例句：

• The blacksmith shaped a horseshoe on his anvil.铁匠在他的铁砧上打出一个马蹄形。
• The anvil onto which the staples are pressed was not assemble correctly.订书机上的铁砧安装错位。

5 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

6 adjourned   

（使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The court adjourned for lunch. 午餐时间法庭休庭。
• The trial was adjourned following the presentation of new evidence to the court. 新证据呈到庭上后，审讯就宣告暂停。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

9 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。

10 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

11 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

12 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

13 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

14 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。