2006年VOA标准英语-Norway Reconsiders Role in Sri Lanka Peace Proc

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
09 June 2006

Norwegian mediators say they are pondering their future role in Sri Lanka's peace process, and have asked the government and Tamil Tiger rebels to clarify if they remain committed to a four-year truce¹ that halted ethnic² fighting in the country. While the Sri Lanka government says it is committed to peace efforts, the rebels have yet to respond to Norway's demand.

---------------------------------------------------

The talks in Oslo between Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers were to be held Thursday to discuss the safety of the monitors who oversee³ a fragile truce. But in a surprise move, the rebels refused to meet the government delegates.

Instead, the rebels informed Norwegian mediators they would not accept cease-fire monitors from countries that are members of the European Union, which recently listed the rebels as terrorists. Two-thirds of the monitors come from EU countries, and will not be easy to replace.

Norway helped mediate⁴ the 2002 truce that halted ethnic fighting in the country, and has been on the frontlines of trying to keep the faltering⁵ peace process from falling apart.

But after the breakdown⁶ of Thursday's talks, Norwegian mediators are pondering their role in the peace process. They have asked the Tamil rebels and the government if they remain committed to the cease-fire, whether they want international truce monitors, and if they can guarantee the monitors' safety.

The Sri Lankan government says it is committed to the truce, and wants EU monitors to continue, despite objections from the Tamil Tigers, also known as the L.T.T.E.

"The European Union, despite the imposition of the ban, has taken the position that they will continue to engage with the L.T.T.E. as far as the peace process is concerned," said Ketesh Loganathan, the deputy head of the government peace secretariat. "So, we see this as no reason as to why the monitors who are from the EU countries cannot function."

The Norwegians have blamed the Tamil rebels for the collapse⁷ of the talks, which were called after an attack last month on a navy convoy⁸ carrying the truce observers.

Several political analysts⁹ have expressed fears that the refusal of the rebels to meet the government and accept EU monitors signals that the rebels are no longer committed to the peace process.

The truce is already under extreme strain. Daily attacks by both sides have killed more than 650 people since December.

The Tamil Tigers waged a deadly war for a homeland in the north and east of the country for the Tamil minority community until the 2002 truce

 

1 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

2 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

3 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

4 mediate   

vi.调解，斡旋；vt.经调解解决；经斡旋促成

参考例句：

• The state must mediate the struggle for water resources.政府必须通过调解来解决对水资源的争夺。
• They may be able to mediate between parties with different interests.他们也许能在不同利益政党之间进行斡旋。

5 faltering   

犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的

参考例句：

• The economy shows no signs of faltering. 经济没有衰退的迹象。
• I canfeel my legs faltering. 我感到我的腿在颤抖。

6 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

7 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

8 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

9 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。