VOA慢速英语2014 人权观察组织向土耳其发出警告

 

As It Is - Human Rights Watch Issues Warning to Turkey 人权观察组织向土耳其发出警告

Human Rights Watch has warned that Turkey is becoming more authoritarian¹. The group says the rule of law is slowly breaking down under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. And it accuses him of launching a campaign against opponents and media freedom.

Human Rights Watch says Mr. Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party are taking steps to control the media and the Internet. It also claims they are clamping downon those who are criticalof the government.

Emma Sinclair Webb studies Turkey for Human Rights Watch. She also wrote the group’s new report on the country. She says the changes there are very concerning.

“Basically over the last year, we’ve seen the Turkish government respond to political opposition² with an extremely heavy-handed approach, which basically is willing to sacrifice the rule of law, to erode³ judicial⁴ independence and to really tear up the rule book and wield⁵ the stick against political oppositionists.”

The report says the human rights situation in Turkey has worsened since nationwide anti-government protests last year. The protests were directed at Mr. Erdogan, who was then prime minister. He was elected president in August.

Emma Sinclair Webb says that, since the unrest, there have been more restrictions⁶ on the media and the Internet, and stronger punishments for protesters.

“Then there are some very serious prosecutions⁷ of protesters, for even attempting a coup⁸ against the government. They face a possible life imprisonment⁹. So you’ve got still with the crackdown against the Gezi protesters continuing, a year on, and very little justice for those who were victims of the massive police violence during Gezi protests.”

The report also says Turkey’s government has weakened the rule of law -- the belief that laws, not individual officials, should govern a nation.

Emma Sinclair Webb says the government wants to have control of judiciary powers -- the courts and judges.

“And they basically have shown signs of wanting to have prosecutors¹⁰ and judges who simply do the government’s bidding and simply act according to the government’s interests. Once you start creating a judiciary that does that you lose all independence of the judiciary, and you fundamentally undermine the rule of law.”

Human Rights Watch did praise the Turkish government for its efforts to end the 30-year conflict with the Kurdish rebelgroup, the PKK. It also says government reforms have given minorities in the country greater rights. But it is calling for the release of the many non-violent Kurdish political activists¹¹ who have been jailed for many years.

I’m Bob Doughty¹².

Words in this Story

authoritarian - adj. enforcing strict obedience¹³ to authority

clamp down - v. to prevent something, typically in a harsh way

critical of- adj. expressing disapproval¹⁴

rebel- n. a person who rises in opposition of an established government.

1 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。

4 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

5 wield   

vt.行使，运用，支配；挥，使用(武器等)

参考例句：

• They wield enormous political power.他们行使巨大的政治权力。
• People may wield the power in a democracy.在民主国家里，人民可以行使权力。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 prosecutions   

起诉( prosecution的名词复数 )； 原告； 实施； 从事

参考例句：

• It is the duty of the Attorney-General to institute prosecutions. 检察总长负责提起公诉。
• Since World War II, the government has been active in its antitrust prosecutions. 第二次世界大战以来，政府积极地进行着反对托拉斯的检举活动。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

8 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

9 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

10 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

11 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

13 obedience   

n.服从，顺从

参考例句：

• Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。
• Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

14 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。