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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
By Kurt Achin
Seoul
04 May 2006
South Korean riot police carry away an arrested protester in Pyeongtaek, May 4, 2006
South Korean authorities launched a massive police operation to clear protesters from the future site of U.S. military headquarters in the country. While some of the protesters were local residents who face relocation, many others belonged to a group known for its anti-American sentiment.
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Demonstrators in an abandoned school building in the city of Pyeongtaek were trying to block the planned expansion of a U.S. military base, just before several thousand police stormed in Thursday to evict1 them.
Though many of the protesters swung bamboo sticks, they were overwhelmed by the police, who took at least 100 people into custody2. No life-threatening injuries were reported, though some individuals at the site of the raid were seen bleeding or unconscious.
Thursday's raid came after months of contention3 between the protesters and the South Korean government. Protest leaders rejected a government ultimatum4 Monday night to leave or face eviction5 by force.
A final warning came from defense6 officials before Thursday's raid took place.
Major-General Park Kyung-Seo says the delayed base expansion has already cost taxpayers7 millions of dollars, and risks becoming a diplomatic issue between South Korea and the United States.
Washington and Seoul agreed two years ago on the planned expansion of nearby U.S. Camp Humphreys, including relocation of the U.S. military command currently situated8 in central Seoul.
The agreement, ratified9 by South Korea's parliament, is part of a plan to relocate U.S. forces southward, away from the North Korean border. About 29,000 U.S. soldiers are stationed in South Korea to deter10 the North from a repeat of its 1950 invasion.
South Korea has offered what it describes as generous compensation to families being forced out by the expansion. Seoul's Defense Ministry11 says about 680 families have chosen to accept reimbursement12 and move, while about 70 have so far refused.
Most of Thursday's protesters were not residents of Pyeongtaek, however, but members of a nationwide umbrella organization called the Pan-National Committee to Stop Expansion of U.S. Bases. The group binds13 together more than 100 South Korean civic14 groups united mainly by anti-U.S. sentiment.
Yoo Young-jae, leader of the group, told South Korea's YTN news network Thursday the protesters view the U.S. military presence as a threat to peace.
Yoo says he believes the base relocation reflects a fundamental change in U.S. strategy, from a purely15 defensive16 position to an offensive one. However, his group has previously17 opposed any deployment18 of U.S. forces in South Korea whatsover.
South Korean military engineers began building a fence around the disputed area and plan to demolish19 the school building, in hopes of preventing further clashes.
1 evict | |
vt.驱逐,赶出,撵走 | |
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2 custody | |
n.监护,照看,羁押,拘留 | |
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3 contention | |
n.争论,争辩,论战;论点,主张 | |
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4 ultimatum | |
n.最后通牒 | |
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5 eviction | |
n.租地等的收回 | |
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6 defense | |
n.防御,保卫;[pl.]防务工事;辩护,答辩 | |
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7 taxpayers | |
纳税人,纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 ) | |
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8 situated | |
adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 | |
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9 ratified | |
v.批准,签认(合约等)( ratify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10 deter | |
vt.阻止,使不敢,吓住 | |
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11 ministry | |
n.(政府的)部;牧师 | |
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12 reimbursement | |
n.偿还,退还 | |
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13 binds | |
v.约束( bind的第三人称单数 );装订;捆绑;(用长布条)缠绕 | |
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14 civic | |
adj.城市的,都市的,市民的,公民的 | |
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15 purely | |
adv.纯粹地,完全地 | |
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16 defensive | |
adj.防御的;防卫的;防守的 | |
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17 previously | |
adv.以前,先前(地) | |
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18 deployment | |
n. 部署,展开 | |
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19 demolish | |
v.拆毁(建筑物等),推翻(计划、制度等) | |
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