2007年VOA标准英语-Burma's Military Targets Karen Women for Abuse,

By Ron Corben
Bangkok
12 February 2007

A new report details widespread human rights abuses against Burma's ethnic¹

A young Karen refugee mother from Myanmar and her child wait for treatment at the Mae Tao clinic in Mae Sot, Thailand (File photo)

Karen, particularly aimed at women, by the country's military over the past 15 years. As Ron Corben reports from Bangkok, a military offensive against the Karen has accelerated a pattern of abuse that includes rape² and torture.

The report released Monday by the Karen Women's Organization says Burma's military government is maintaining a "regime of terror" in the Karen state in northeastern Burma.

In graphic³ detail the group charges the military using sexual torture to intimidate⁴ and humiliate⁵ members of the ethnic minority group. Women and children are also subjected to forced labor⁶ and displaced from their homes.

Naw Blooming Night Zan, the joint⁷ general secretary of the Karen Women's Organization, says the document details thousands of cases of brutality⁸ against women in Karen state and elsewhere.

 

"The report we launched today, there are about 4,000 cases - rape, torture. It's including beating, torture, murder, denial of food, water, shelter and denial of right to legal redress," she said. "Among the cases 90 percent are forced labor and portering."

There are reports of gang rapes⁹ and sexual abuse with the victims then being shot by soldiers. The report mirrors allegations raised in 2002 against the Burmese military's use of rape as a weapon against civilians¹⁰ in Shan State in the northeast.

The military government, known as the State Peace and Development Council, or SPDC, stepped up a campaign against the Karen last year, soon after moving to a new administrative¹¹ capital at Naypyidaw, 400 kilometers from Rangoon.

A few years before that, the Karen had reached a temporary ceasefire with the government and were preparing for more formal peace talks.

Tens of thousands of ethnic minority groups in Burma have been forced from their homes over the past several years.

Many live in refugee camps along the border, and aid agencies say the rest hide in the jungle, where they are vulnerable to hazards such as malaria¹² and land mines.

Naw Blooming says the international community must respond to the growing crisis.

"We want the international [community] to pressure the Burmese regime to stop all kinds of violence against Karen women and ethnic women in Burma and to immediately stop their offensive inside Karen state," she added.

The report comes just a month after China and Russia vetoed passage of a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an end to human rights abuses in Burma.

Burma has been under the control of the military for the past 40 years. Despite promised moves toward democracy, little progress has been made in drafting a new constitution and holding elections.

1 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。

2 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。

3 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

4 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

5 humiliate   

v.使羞辱，使丢脸[同]disgrace

参考例句：

• What right had they to bully and humiliate people like this?凭什么把人欺侮到这个地步呢？
• They pay me empty compliments which only humiliate me.他们虚情假意地恭维我，这只能使我感到羞辱。

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

9 rapes   

n.芸苔( rape的名词复数 )；强奸罪；强奸案；肆意损坏v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的第三人称单数 )；强奸

参考例句：

• The man who had committed several rapes was arrested. 那个犯了多起强奸案的男人被抓起来了。 来自辞典例句
• The incidence of reported rapes rose 0.8 percent. 美国联邦调查局还发布了两份特别报告。 来自互联网

10 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。

11 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

12 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。