VOA标准英语2009-Burma Court Rejects Aung San Suu Kyi Witness

Burma's highest court has rejected an appeal to allow more defense¹ witnesses in the trial of detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The trial has been widely condemned² as rigged to keep the Nobel Peace Prize winner locked up.

The Burmese high court on Monday ruled against allowing two more defense witnesses.

The decision upheld a ruling by a lower court banning Win Tin and Tin Oo from testifying on her behalf.

The men are senior members of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party and critics of Burma's military government.

Nyan Win is a spokesman for the NLD and is also one of Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyers. He says the decision demonstrates that the trial is rigged.

"We always mentioned about this … the trial is not fair because, first, it's not a public hearing. And, then we submit four defense witnesses but the court permit one witness and then divisional court another witness," he said. "So, at that time the prosecutor⁴ side has testified 15 witnesses. This is very glaring that there is no fair trial."

The high court's rejection⁵ comes just after the United Nations special envoy⁶, Ibrahim Gambari, visited Burma.

He spoke³ with Burmese officials about a possible visit next month by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The U.N. wants Burma's military government to release Aung San Suu Kyi and more than 2,000 other political prisoners.

Mr. Ban is said to be considering if his presence in the country would help win their freedom or be used as propaganda.

Nyan Win says the NLD would welcome a visit by Mr. Ban, but says the U.N. must increase the pressure on Burma's rulers.

"We welcome always the U.N. effort," he said. "The result is good for democracy or not, is another thing."

Burma's military has ruled the country with an iron fist for decades.

The NLD won Burma's last elections in 1990, but the military never allowed the party to take power and has since intimidated⁷ and arrested thousands opposed to military rule.

Aung San Suu Kyi is on trial for violating the terms of her house arrest for allowing an uninvited guest to stay at her home without official permission. She is expected to be sentenced to up to five years in prison.

Many of her supporters say Burma's military is using the trial to make sure she can be kept imprisoned⁸ next year. That way, she can not influence new elections the government is holding as part of its long-promised move toward democracy. The military-drafted constitution, however, grants the generals significant control over any elected government.

1 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。

2 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

5 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

6 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

7 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。