Amnesty International Concerned About ‘Us Versus Them’

 

A human rights group is warning against a rise in politically divisive speech and international indifference¹ to rights abuses.

Amnesty International released its 2016 report on Wednesday.

The report is called The State of the World’s Human Rights.

The group criticizes both rich and poor nations. It noted² government efforts to restrict free speech in countries such as Ethiopia, Bangladesh and Russia. It also noted attacks on civilians³ in places such as Syria, Yemen and Sudan.

Amnesty’s Secretary General Salil Shetty spoke⁴ to reporters in Paris. He noted that 2016 “was a year in which poisonous political rhetoric⁵” increased in many areas around the world.

Shetty criticized politicians, even some world leaders, for their use of “us versus⁶ them” comments to denounce immigrants, Muslims and other groups. The leaders included Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, and United States President Donald Trump⁷.

“And at the root of this rhetoric lies a dangerous idea -- the idea that some people are less human than others.”

He added that “one of the most dangerous things that’s happened in 2016 is to increasingly start equating⁸ refugees with terrorists.”

Salil Shetty said Amnesty is also worried about the international community’s reaction to violence against civilians. These acts include the bombings of schools and hospitals in Syria, migrant drownings in the Mediterranean⁹, and reports of the use of chemical weapons in Darfur, Sudan.

“We have reached a point where there is no longer any red line. Almost no action has become too appalling¹⁰ or indefensible.”

Shetty said many of these terrible acts have been met with, in his words, “deafening silence.” He said people can force their governments to change. He noted that such efforts are taking place in Europe, Africa and the United States.

Amnesty researcher Gaetan Mootoo said there have been attacks against the rights of people who belong to the LGBT community. LGBT is short for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. He also noted attacks against free speech in some African countries.

“People have been arrested, for example, in Cote d’Ivoire because they were protesting against the referendum. Many of them were arrested and released shortly afterwards.”

Mootoo said similar actions have taken place in Nigeria, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Amnesty criticized President Trump’s efforts to temporarily block U.S. visits by citizens from seven Muslim majority countries. It called the ban, “inhumane, unlawful and just plain stupid.”

Trump has said the travel restrictions¹¹ are necessary until stronger measures can be put in place to stop possible terrorists from entering the country. But federal judges have suspended enforcement of the ban. Trump has promised to write a new order that will be accepted by U.S. courts.

Words in This Story

rhetoric – n. language that is intended to influence people and that may not be honest or reasonable

us versus them – expression

red line – n.

appalling – adj. very bad in a way that causes fear, shock or disgust

lesbian – n. a woman who is sexually attracted to other women; a female homosexual

gay – n. a person and especially a man who is homosexual

bisexual – adj. sexually attracted to both men and women

transgender – adj. of or relating to people who feel that their true nature does not match their sex at birt

1 indifference   

n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎

参考例句：

• I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
• He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 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。

4 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。

5 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

6 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

7 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

8 equating   

v.认为某事物（与另一事物）相等或相仿( equate的现在分词 )；相当于；等于；把（一事物） 和（另一事物）等同看待

参考例句：

• [ Ray ] I definitely started equating crossword puzzles with songwriting. 我已经干脆开始把字谜游戏等同于歌曲写作了。 来自电影对白
• But they have a hard time equating plural marriage with those evils. 但是他们很难把这种多妻婚姻与上面说的那些坏事联系起来。 来自互联网

9 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

10 appalling   

adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。

11 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