VOA标准英语2009-Turkey Wedding Massacre Prompts Calls to Disband

The recent massacre¹ of a wedding party in southeast Turkey has cast the spotlight² on the region's local militia³ known as Village Guards. Some of the weapons used in the wedding attack are believed to belong to the militia. The militia was created by the government in its battle against the Kurdistan workers party (PKK). But human rights groups have accused the militia of abuses and criminal activity. With most of the PKK being forced out of Turkey into neighboring Iraq, and peace returning to much of the region, calls are growing for the militia to be disbanded.
　
People bear the coffin⁴ of a victim of Monday night's assault to bury in Bilge in southeastern Turkey, 05 May 2009

There are approximately 60,000 Village Guards in Turkey's predominately Kurdish southeast Turkey. The local militia was formed in 1985 by the government to fight against the Kurdish insurgency⁵ of the Kurdistan workers party (PKK).

Analysts⁶ say the "Village Guards" militia is the key support element for the Turkish army in its war against the PKK. But with most of the PKK insurgents⁷ now forced into neighboring Iraq, peace has returned to much of the Kurdish region.

For guards like Ali Can from the southeast city of Diyarbakir the concern is now for the future.

Can says he has been fighting for the Turkish state since 1985, but since the fighting has subsided⁸ he has nothing to do. He said he gave up everything to join the guards and risked his life for the state, but he has received nothing from government in return.

Calls for the abolition⁹ of the Village Guards has been growing in Turkey. Some human rights groups say coercion¹⁰ was widely used by the government to test the loyalty¹¹ of the local Kurdish population. But the Village Guards have also been accused of human rights violations¹². The European Union, which Turkey is bidding to join, has also called for the abolition of militia.

Turkish authorities say they believe the Village Guards played a role in the recent massacre of 44 people at a wedding party in Southeast Turkey. Interior Minister Besir Atalay told reporters he suspected Village Guards were involved in the attack.

Atalay said one sad dimension of the event is the involvement of the Village Guards, and this is an important aspect of the matter for the government.

Ahmet Turk, the leader of the country's main pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, said the massacre was a result of the state arming thousands of people.

Turkish Deputy Prime minister Cemil Cicek said disbandment was now under consideration, but added the decision should not be taken in haste.

But disbanding the militia is not an easy job for the government, according to Dr. Kemal Kirisci, a political scientist at Bosporus University. He says the problem is not securing support to end the guards, but rather how to achieve it.

"There has already been quite a lot of talk in state circles that the village guard system needs to be disbanded," he said. "I think there is a consensus¹³ on this too, amongst political parties and I suspect also in the national security council. The problem is how do you dismantle¹⁴ the system, with as little economic damage to the 60,000 Village Guards and their families have been incorporated into the system and how do you rebuild the big bridges between those Kurds who served in the Village Guards and those who refused to serve and who faced the consequences of refusing to serve."

Members of the local militia are usually members powerful local clans¹⁵, which wield¹⁶ considerable power in the region. There are also numerous reports that some of the guards are linked to illegal activities, including narcotic¹⁷ smuggling¹⁸ and organized crime. But the growing scrutiny¹⁹ of the village guard system is fueling calls for its disbandment.

Guard member Abdullah Guc from the city of Diyarbakir has a warning to the government.

He said he left school to join the Village Guards and for 12 years he has been fighting for the Turkish state. If the government does not want the guards anymore, the authorities cannot just stop paying the guards and expect them to give up their guns.

Some political commentators²⁰ in Turkey have described the village guard system as a self-created monster of the Turkish state.

They say the problem now is what to do with it.

1 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

2 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

3 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

4 coffin   

n.棺材，灵柩

参考例句：

• When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
• The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。

5 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

6 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

7 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

8 subsided   

v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上

参考例句：

• After the heavy rains part of the road subsided. 大雨过后，部分公路塌陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• By evening the storm had subsided and all was quiet again. 傍晚， 暴风雨已经过去，四周开始沉寂下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 abolition   

n.废除，取消

参考例句：

• They declared for the abolition of slavery.他们声明赞成废除奴隶制度。
• The abolition of the monarchy was part of their price.废除君主制是他们的其中一部分条件。

10 coercion   

n.强制，高压统治

参考例句：

• Neither trickery nor coercion is used to secure confessions.既不诱供也不逼供。
• He paid the money under coercion.他被迫付钱。

11 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

12 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。

13 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

14 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

15 clans   

宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派

参考例句：

• There are many clans in European countries. 欧洲国家有很多党派。
• The women were the great power among the clans [gentes], as everywhere else. 妇女在克兰〈氏族〉里，乃至一般在任何地方，都有很大的势力。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源

16 wield   

vt.行使，运用，支配；挥，使用(武器等)

参考例句：

• They wield enormous political power.他们行使巨大的政治权力。
• People may wield the power in a democracy.在民主国家里，人民可以行使权力。

17 narcotic   

n.麻醉药，镇静剂；adj.麻醉的，催眠的

参考例句：

• Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。
• No medical worker is allowed to prescribe any narcotic drug for herself.医务人员不得为自己开处方使用麻醉药品。

18 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

19 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

20 commentators   

n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 )；时事评论员；注释者；实况广播员

参考例句：

• Sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 体育解说员翻来覆去说着同样的词语，真叫人腻烦。
• Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 电视体育解说员说来说去就是那么几句话，令人厌烦。 来自《简明英汉词典》