VOA双语新闻 Thai Prime Minister（在线收听）

Thailand's prime minster, Thaksin Shinawatra, has paid his second visit in a week to the Muslim-dominated south in an effort to ease fears and bolster business activity there. The economy in the South is reeling from 20 months of violence in which more than 800 people have been killed.

泰国总理他信说，他在一个星期之内第二次前往穆斯林人口占多数的南部地区，是为了消除人们的恐惧心理，并且促进那里的商业活动。20个月的暴力活动使泰国南部的经济摇摇欲坠。在这些暴力活动中，800多人丧生。

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra Friday visited markets in the southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. He was there to reassure merchants who say they have received death threats if they open their shops on Fridays, the Muslim day of prayer.

他信星期五前往帕塔尼、雅拉、那拉提瓦这3个最南部的省份。他去那里是为了让当地的商人放心。因为那些商界人士说，他们收到了死亡威胁，如果他们在星期五穆斯林祈祷日开门营业，就会大祸临头。

Mr. Thaksin's office minister, Suranand Vejjajiva, speaking by telephone from Yala, acknowledged that some shops were closed, but said the government was urging people to resist intimidation.

他信总理办公室部长索兰南德在雅拉打来的电话中承认，一些商店星期五关闭了。可是他说，政府呼吁人们抵制恐吓行径。

"A lot of religious leaders have come out and supported the government [position] that it is not wrong to open shops on Fridays," he said. "And we have reassured the people that the security will be here and shops can be open. So I think today we see a lot of shops open and we will see more."

“许多宗教领导人都出来支持政府的立场，认为商店在星期五开门并不是错误的。我们让人们放心，将在这里部署安全力量，商店可以开门。因此，我认为我们今天可以看到许多商店开门，并且还将看到更多开门的商店。”

The prime minister is touring with his team of economic ministers in an effort to boost local businesses, which have been hard hit by the violence.

他信总理正在和他的一些主管经济事务的部长们一起在南部巡视，目的是为了促进当地的商业活动。泰国南部的商业活动一直受到暴力活动的严重打击。

He met Friday with business leaders in Pattani. One of these, Tourism Association Chairman Anusart Suwanmongkol, said Mr. Thaksin was told that the major concern is surviving the downturn.

他信星期五会见了帕塔尼省的商界领袖。旅游协会会长阿努萨特说，他们告诉他信总理，商界主要关注的问题是走出经济低迷。

"Their most pressing concern has to do with how to keep their business afloat in the current situation," he said. "They want some financial relief from the government, some tax relief, some relief on the utilities, whatever helps the cash flow."

阿努萨特：“他们关注的最紧迫的问题就是如何能在目前的局势下使生意维持下去。他们希望政府能够减轻公司一些财务负担，减免一些税务，在水电等公用事业方面提供某些优惠政策。无论什么措施，只要能有助于公司的现金流动就行。”

He said tourism in particular has suffered in the south because of negative publicity.

阿努萨特说，由于负面的宣传，南方的旅游业受到的打击尤其严重。

Agricultural sectors like the rubber and fruit industries have also been affected because workers are afraid to go into the fields.

橡胶和水果业之类的农业领域也受到影响，这是因为工人不敢下地工作。

The three southernmost provinces experienced a low-level insurgency in the 1970s and '80s, by rebels seeking to separate the Muslim-dominated region from predominantly Buddhist Thailand. The violence subsided in the 1990s under an amnesty program.

这3个最南部的省份在20世纪70年代和80年代经历了小规模的叛乱活动，当时，反政府武装为了谋求把穆斯林主导的南部地区从以佛教徒为主的泰国其他地区分离出去，发动了反叛活动。在90年代政府采取特赦行动之后，南部的暴力活动逐渐平息。

However, it resurfaced last year with an attack on an army base, and since then more than 800 people have been killed, mostly in bombings and drive-by shootings.

然而，泰国南部的暴力活动于去年重新抬头。反政府武装袭击了一个政府军的基地。从那时以来，800多人在暴力事件中丧生，其中大多数人是在爆炸中丧生或者是被开车经过的叛乱分子开枪打死的。