VOA常速英语2007-Sri Lanka Rebuffs Call for Human Rights Monitori

By Steve Herman
New Delhi
15 October 2007

Sri Lanka is defending its decision to reject a call by a top U.N. envoy¹ for an international mission to monitor human rights on the divided island nation. VOA Correspondent Steve Herman reports from New Delhi.

Speaking in the Indian capital, Sri Lanka's foreign minister rebuffed a call for an international human rights monitoring mission. Rohitha Bogollagama told reporters here that such a group would play into the hands of the rebels, who are fighting the government.

U.N. Human Rights High Commissioner² Louise Arbour concluded a five-day visit to Sri Lanka on Saturday. On her departure she expressed concern about the government's lack of attention concerning human rights and called for the international mission to gather information about alleged³ violations⁴ by Sri Lanka's military as well as the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

The U.S. State Department says the rebel group is a terrorist organization.

Arbour was prevented by the government from visiting the Eastern Province and Killinochchi, the rebels' political headquarters. The foreign minister says it would not have been prudent⁵ for her to venture into that territory.

"Killinochchi is where there is absolutely no writ⁶ of government getting applied⁷ because it has been controlled by [LTTE chief Veluppillai] Pirabhakaran, a terrorist," said Bogollagama. "And if one wants to go and meet Bin⁸ Laden⁹, can one permit that?"

After Arbour left the country, four top Sri Lankan activists¹⁰ announced they had quit a panel established by the Human Rights Ministry¹¹, contending the government in Colombo is not serious about halting illegal arrests, abductions and killings¹² blamed on police and the military.

Foreign Minister Bogollagama calls the resignations regrettable.

"We would like to see a greater degree of understanding to prevail in terms of discussing issues without taking this type of drastic and unwarranted steps that only jeopardizes¹³ and sends the wrong signals," he said.

Fighting in Sri Lanka in the past 35 years has left 60,000 people dead. Violence resumed on a large scale two years ago when a truce¹⁴ mediated¹⁵ by Norway between the ethnic-Tamil rebels and the Sinhalese-dominated government began falling apart.

1 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

2 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。

3 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

4 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。

5 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

6 writ   

n.命令状，书面命令

参考例句：

• This is a copy of a writ I received this morning.这是今早我收到的书面命令副本。
• You shouldn't treat the newspapers as if they were Holy Writ. 你不应该把报上说的话奉若神明。

7 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

8 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

9 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

10 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》

11 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

12 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

13 jeopardizes   

危及，损害( jeopardize的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• If your reckless behavior jeopardizes this mission, you're out! 如果你不注意你的言行，会危及到这次任务你也会被开除！
• Factionalism now seriously jeopardizes our overall interest. 现在闹派性已经严重地妨害我们的大局。

14 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

15 mediated   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
• The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。