U.S. Senator Jim Webb, who won the release of an American prisoner in Burma, says the United States must develop new ways to bring about political and economic change in the isolated state. Senator Webb called on China to end its silence on Burma and use its influence there with the repressive government.
美国参议员吉姆.韦布说，美国必须开发新的途径来促使与世隔绝的缅甸变革本国的政治和经济。参议员韦布成功地使缅甸当局释放了被关押的一名美国人。韦布参议员呼吁中国不要再在缅甸问题上保持沉默，并对采用高压手段的缅甸政府施加其影响力。
In talks with Burma's leader, General Than Shwe, Senator Webb secured the release of U.S. citizen John Yettaw, whose visit in May to the lakeside home of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi led to her extended house arrest for another 18 months. The ailing Yettaw, who had been sentenced to seven years in prison and hard labor, was officially deported Sunday and flew with Webb to Bangkok, where is he is undergoing a medical check-up.
美国参议员韦布在和缅甸领袖丹瑞将军会谈时，成功地使美国公民约翰.耶托获释。耶托对缅甸反对党领袖昂山素季湖边住宅的访问导致昂山素季的软禁期被延长十八个月。身体有病的耶托先前被判处七年徒刑和劳役，但是星期天被正式遣返出境，并且和韦布一起飞回曼谷，在那里接受医疗检查。
Speaking in Bangkok, Webb said he asked for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, and for her participation in planned elections next year during his talks in Burma, also known as Myanmar.
韦布在曼谷发表讲话时说，他在缅甸进行会谈时要求释放正在软禁中的昂山素季，并且要求让她参加定于明年举行的选举。
"It's something that we hope the government of Myanmar will consider as the process moves forward," Webb said.
韦布说：“我们希望在有关进程继续向前迈进时缅甸政府会考虑这个问题。”
Senator Webb was also allowed to talk with Aung San Suu Kyi for 40 minutes in Rangoon Saturday.
韦布参议员也得到许可星期六与昂山素季在仰光进行了四十分钟的谈话。
"I hope that this, among other things, is something that we can take advantage of and begin laying a foundation of goodwill and confidence building, so that we might be able to have a better situation in the future," Webb said.
韦布说：“我希望这是我们能充分利用、并且开始为友好与信任打下基础的一系列事情之一，这样我们才可能有更美好的前景。”
Webb, who favors the eventual lifting of U.S. sanctions on Burma, says the United States must find new ways to end the isolation of the people of Burma and to bring about political and economic change in the country.
韦布主张美国最终取消对缅甸的制裁。他说，美国必须找寻新的途径结束缅甸人民与世隔绝的局面，并且为这个国家带来政治和经济变革。
He expressed concern about China's growing influence, and about Beijing's passive policy toward the political deadlock between the repressive military and pro-democracy groups. Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won elections in 1990, but was never allowed to govern.
他对中国日益强大的影响力表示关注，他也对北京在缅甸军政府和民运团体之间的政治僵局采取被动态度表示关注。昂山素季的全国民主联盟在1990年赢得选举胜利，但是他们一直被禁止执政。
"To be respected in the world community, China has an obligation to end its silence and to use its influence in order to assist in resolving this situation," Webb said. "The sanctions of the past several years has increased Myanmar's isolation from Western governments and cultures. These are major impediments in allowing the Burmsese people the kind of access to the outside world that is essential to their economic and political growth. Yet, at the same time, these sanctions have allowed China to dramatically increase its economic and political influence in Myanmar, creating an imbalance that affects the long term national goals of many other countries. This is not healthy for the region."
韦布说：“中国要得到国际社会的尊重，就有义务不再保持沉默，并且利用它的影响力来帮助化解缅甸僵局。过去几年来的制裁，使得缅甸进一步与西方国家政府和文化疏离。这些制裁是使缅甸人民得不到与外界接触途径的主要障碍，而与外界接触对于缅甸的经济和政治发展至关重要。然而，这些制裁措施却使中国得以大大加强在缅甸的经济和政治影响力，导致一种不平衡局面，让其它许多国家的长期目标受到影响。这对该地区来说不是一种健康的局面。”
China has significant commercial interests there, particularly in oil and gas.
Webb, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, is on a five-nation tour of Southeast Asia. The White House and the State Department have said Webb was not carrying any specific message from President Barack Obama on his trip to Burma.
韦布是参议院外交关系委员会、东亚太平洋事务小组委员会主席，他目前正在东南亚五国进行访问。白宫和国务院表示，韦布访问缅甸没有为奥巴马总统传递任何特别信息。 |