VOA常速英语2007-Niger Demonstrators Protest Detentions

By Phuong Tran
Dakar
20 October 2007

More than 100 journalists and members of Nigerien civil society have demonstrated in Niger's capital Niamey. They say the government is punishing independent journalists for reporting on an on-going rebellion. Phuong Tran has more from VOA's West Africa bureau in Dakar.

This is the first time journalists have publicly demonstrated since Niger's government introduced democratic changes almost 20 years ago.

Reached during the march, organizer Boubacar Diallo, president of Niger's Association of Independent Newspaper Editors, told VOA the marchers are denouncing arbitrary arrests and detentions¹ of reporters covering the rebellion.

Diallo says the government is censoring² the private media. 

Niger Army troops patrol in a street of the northern town of Agadez, 2 July 2007 (file photo)

Months ago, the government press regulatory agency temporarily shut down two private news outlets³ it considers pro-rebellion.

The government has threatened further closures if journalists produce reports that, according to officials, inflame⁴ tensions or spread hatred⁵.

But Diallo says the standard is not the same for the state media. He says last week, a government television station twice broadcast comments from a civil society leader who said ethnic⁶ Tuareg rebels could be exterminated⁷ in 48 hours. Diallo calls the broadcast irresponsible hate journalism⁸.

Mamane Mamadou, a member of the government's press regulatory agency, says debates are allowed.

But he says reporters should not take advantage of press freedom to hide crimes against the state.

Mamadou says some of the reporting on the rebels by independent journalists could endanger public safety and fuel more violence.

A month ago, police detained independent journalist Moussa Kaka, accusing him of colluding with the rebels.

Also, police arrested a second journalist, Ibrahim Manzo Diallo 11 days ago. He ran the only newspaper in the region where the rebellion is taking place.

Diallo's family says police have accused him of collaborating⁹ with Kaka, a correspondent for Radio France International.

RFI has condemned¹⁰ Kaka's arrest, and says Diallo is not one of its employees. 

Ethnic Tuareg nomads¹¹ re-launched attacks against government forces earlier this year in Niger's uranium-rich north. Dozens of government troops have been killed in the fighting. 

President Mamadou Tandja dismisses the fighters as bandits, and does not acknowledge their political demands for more rights or uranium profits.

1 detentions   

拘留( detention的名词复数 )； 扣押； 监禁； 放学后留校

参考例句：

• Teachers may assign detention tasks as they wish and some detentions have been actually dangerous. 老师可能随心所欲指派关禁闭的形式，有些禁闭事实上很危险。
• Intimidation, beatings and administrative detentions are often enough to prevent them from trying again. 恐吓，拷打和行政拘留足以阻止请愿者二次进京的脚步。

2 censoring   

删剪（书籍、电影等中被认为犯忌、违反道德或政治上危险的内容）( censor的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Therefore, exhibitors shall not make use of these materials before censoring. 展商在审查前不可使用这些资料。
• The company then said it would end self-censoring search results, putting it at odds with Beijing. 随后该公司表示，将停止自我审查搜索结果，从而与中国政府发生对抗。

3 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 inflame   

v.使燃烧；使极度激动；使发炎

参考例句：

• Our lack of response seemed to inflame the colonel.由于我们没有反应,好象惹恼了那个上校。
• Chemical agents manufactured by our immune system inflame our cells and tissues,causing our nose to run and our throat to swell.我们的免疫系统产生的化学物质导致我们的细胞和组织发炎，导致我们流鼻水和我们的喉咙膨胀。

5 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

6 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

7 exterminated   

v.消灭，根绝( exterminate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It was exterminated root and branch. 它被彻底剪除了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The insects can be exterminated by spraying DDT. 可以用喷撒滴滴涕的方法大量杀死这种昆虫。 来自《用法词典》

8 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

9 collaborating   

合作( collaborate的现在分词 )； 勾结叛国

参考例句：

• Joe is collaborating on the work with a friend. 乔正与一位朋友合作做那件工作。
• He was not only learning from but also collaborating with Joseph Thomson. 他不仅是在跟约瑟福？汤姆逊学习，而且也是在和他合作。

10 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

11 nomads   

n.游牧部落的一员( nomad的名词复数 )；流浪者；游牧生活；流浪生活

参考例句：

• For ten years she dwelled among the nomads of North America. 她在北美游牧民中生活了十年。
• Nomads have inhabited this region for thousands of years. 游牧民族在这地区居住已有数千年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》