VOA慢速英语--缅甸的企业支持重建若开邦

 

Myanmar’s business leaders are supporting Aung San Suu Kyi’s plan to resettle Rohingya refugees and to rebuild Rakhine State.

Last August, Rohingya militant¹ attacks on the police caused a military response that sent more than 650,000 Rohingya fleeing into Bangladesh.

Myanmar and Bangladesh have since agreed on a plan to send refugees from Myanmar back to the country within the next two years. And the leader of Myanmar is looking for private investment to rebuild Rakhine State.

However, the return of refugees has stopped. Rohingya leaders have demanded that community land be returned and human rights violations² be investigated. They also want the opportunity to become citizens of Myanmar.

In an e-mailed statement to VOA, the United Nations High Commissioner³ for Refugees said, “conditions in Rakhine State are not yet fully⁴ conducive⁵ to the safe…return of refugees.”

Myanmar’s civilian⁶ government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), is constitutionally prevented from questioning the army. It has, however, tried to take control in other ways.

The heads of Eden, KBZ, and Asia World were once under Western sanctions because of their ties to the previous government, a military junta⁷. During her years of house arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi criticized them as military “cronies.”

In an October 2016 event, she reminded them of past misdeeds but asked for, “those who have previously⁸ worked for their own self-interest work for others in the future.”

The same business leaders who made millions of dollars during military rule now support the Union Enterprise for Humanitarian⁹ Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine, or UEHRD.

It was formed in October with a $13.5 million donation from business leaders.

Nyo Myint is a senior managing director of KBZ Group. He told VOA some of the $2.2 million donated from his company would be spent on a new fence across the border with Bangladesh. He said this would benefit “both countries” by stopping illegal migration¹⁰.

Other support has been more direct. Chit Khine, the Eden Group chairman, told VOA over the phone that his company is building structures in Nga Khu Ya, one of two areas near the border where refugees will be returned. The Eden Group built large parts of Myanmar’s new capital city in Naypyidaw under military rule.

Gerard McCarthy works at the Myanmar Research Center of the Australian National University. He told VOA that asking for the support of businesses for national causes is not a change from NLD values, which believe that “capitalists can be moral as long as they contribute.”

Aung San Suu Kyi’s plan also presents Rakhine State as a promising¹¹ opportunity for increased investment in one of Myanmar’s poorest states.

The government in October restarted an economic zone in Maungdaw in northern Rakhine State, by signing a deal with a group of local and Yangon-based firms.

Vicky Bowman, director of the Myanmar Center for Responsible Business, told VOA via email that while humanitarian needs should come first, there was “a need for public investment in infrastructure¹²” to fight poverty in Rakhine State.

However, there are risks. Bowman said that there could be local anger that businesses from outside of Rakhine have more opportunity at a time of strong Rakhine nationalism.

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

sanction – n. an action that is taken or an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country

junta – n. a military group controlling a government after taking control of it by force

crony - n. a close associate in a corrupt¹³ enterprise

misdeed – n. a morally wrong or illegal act

contribute – v. to help to cause something to happen

opportunity – n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done

infrastructure – n. the bridges, roads, and buildings of a society

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

3 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。

6 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

7 junta   

n.团体；政务审议会

参考例句：

• The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.军政府感到自身权力受威胁而进行了激烈反击。
• A military junta took control of the country.一个军政权控制了国家。

8 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

9 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

10 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

11 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

12 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

13 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。