2006年VOA标准英语-Burma Extends Detention of Aung San Suu Kyi by

By Ron Corben
Bangkok
27 May 2006

Burma has extended the detention¹ of opposition² leader Aung San Suu Kyi for a further year, despite international pressure for her release. The decision comes on the anniversary of her National League for Democracy's victory in 1990 elections - a result the military government has refused to recognize.

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Aung San Suu Kyi (May 2002) 
  

National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's term under house arrest was extended for a further 12 months Saturday, dashing hopes her release from a three-year-long detention was imminent³.

The announcement by Burmese officials came Saturday, the same day her current extension order expired. The Nobel laureate has spent 10 of the past 17 years under arrest.

Earlier Saturday, police armed with batons⁴ stepped up security near her University Avenue compound, setting up barbed wire barricades⁵ and closing the street to traffic.

Hopes for Aung San Suu Kyi's release were raised last week, after a top U.N. official, Ibrahim Gambari, became the first foreigner in two years allowed to meet her. Gambari also held talks with the head of the ruling junta⁶, senior general Than Shwe.

Naing Aung, secretary general of the Forum⁷ for Democracy in Burma, says the detention dashed the promises raised by the U.N. visit.

"It's a kind of disgrace, and we are very disappointed; it shattered the possible progress after Mr. Gambari's visit," he said.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan had also made a personal appeal Friday to Than Shwe to free the opposition leader, and allow her party to participate in dialogue.

But Debbie Stothard, spokesperson with the rights group, the Alternative ASEAN Network, said the junta's decision was no surprise.

"It is not surprising that they refused to release Aung San Suu Kyi," she said. "The military regime is still very afraid of the broad support that she commands in the country. Releasing Aung San Suu Kyi today would have been seen as a great triumph for the democracy movement."

Leaders of the National League for Democracy, or NLD, who are meeting in Rangoon to mark the anniversary of the party's 1990 election victory Saturday, said the extension order was a setback⁸ to national reconciliation⁹.

Burma's ruling military has always refused to hand over power to the NLD, despite the opposition's election success.

Carl Thayer, a defense¹⁰ analyst¹¹ with the University of New South Wales, says Aung San Suu Kyi's popularity is a chief concern for the junta.

"[It is better] From their perspective to keep her under house arrest than to risk losing control to a certain extent - they just have to put her back under house arrest," he said.

The military, he says, remains¹² determined¹³ to stay in power and ensure internal stability with little concern about international pressures toward political reform.

Shortly after Aung San Suu Kyi's latest detention began three years ago, the Burmese government announced a seven-step road map to democracy.

The junta has taken the first step by convening¹⁴ a national convention to draft a constitution. But critics say the government is merely trying to legitimize the military's hold on power.

On Saturday, two of Burma's Southeast Asian neighbors expressed disappointment at the decision to extend Aung San Suu Kyi's detention. The Malaysian and Thai foreign ministers said they had been hoping for her release.

1 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

4 batons   

n.（警察武器）警棍( baton的名词复数 )；（乐队指挥用的）指挥棒；接力棒

参考例句：

• There were many riot policemen with batons. 有许多带警棍的防暴警察。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Chinese police fight? Number one is a person with batons to fight! 满街飘的中国国旗，是一个老华侨在事发时那出来分给大家的，很感动，真的，从来一向多一事不如少一事的中国人今天团结到一起站出来反抗。 来自互联网

5 barricades   

路障，障碍物( barricade的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The police stormed the barricades the demonstrators had put up. 警察冲破了示威者筑起的街垒。
• Others died young, in prison or on the barricades. 另一些人年轻时就死在监牢里或街垒旁。

6 junta   

n.团体；政务审议会

参考例句：

• The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.军政府感到自身权力受威胁而进行了激烈反击。
• A military junta took control of the country.一个军政权控制了国家。

7 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

8 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

9 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

10 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。

11 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

12 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

13 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

14 convening   

召开( convene的现在分词 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• When convening the assembly, however, you shall blow without sounding an alarm. 民10:7但招聚会众的时候、们要吹号、不要吹出大声。
• We warmly welcome the convening of Asia-Europe meeting in London. 热烈欢迎亚欧会议在伦敦召开。