2007年VOA标准英语-National Union Condemns Assaults Against Somali

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
13 March 2007

The National Union of Somali Journalists has condemned¹ recent assaults of press members by officials with the transitional government.  Meanwhile, the foreign minister says his government respects press freedom in Somalia.  Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.

Three journalists working for the independent radio station Shabelle Media Network were assaulted Monday while investigating reports that Ethiopian troops were vacating the building where the former Ministry² of Defense³ was located in Mogadishu.

A member of the union, who declined to be named, describes what happened to his colleagues when they entered the building.

"They were asked some questions," he said.  "They were asked why they entered the building, and they were punished for not having permission to come in.  They were only tortured.  They were made to stand in the sunshine for about three hours and they were kick-boxed and they were clubbed, something like that."

The union also says a journalist with Shabelle Radio was beaten Sunday in a Mogadishu neighborhood by the armed forces of the transitional government.

And the union says last Friday government forces arrested a reporter with Horn Afrik Radio who was filing live coverage⁴ of a volatile⁵ situation in the capital.  The union says he is still being held at an unknown location.

The union member tells VOA that journalists in Somalia are afraid of the government and are not able to express themselves freely for fear of serious reprisals⁶.

But Somali Minister of Foreign Affairs Esmael Mohamud Hurreh disagrees.   Hurreh says he is not familiar with the particular incidents outlined by the union, but he says his government respects press freedom.

"Tempers could be high and people could be jittery⁷ about these things, but in general, our position on the press is that the press is free, it should have access to every place, and the government officials, whether they are security people or ministers or functionaries⁸ in ministries⁹, cooperate with the press," he said.

In its 2007 report, the international press watchdog Reporters Without Borders expressed its concern about conditions for Somali journalists.

The report says that 2006 was, in its words, "one of the most violent years for the press for a long time", with many journalists being beaten up by both the transitional government and the Islamic Courts Union.

The report says about 30 journalists were arrested by both sides last year.

1 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。

2 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。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

5 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

6 reprisals   

n.报复（行为）( reprisal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They did not want to give evidence for fear of reprisals. 他们因为害怕报复而不想作证。
• They took bloody reprisals against the leaders. 他们对领导进行了血腥的报复。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 jittery   

adj. 神经过敏的, 战战兢兢的

参考例句：

• However, nothing happened though he continued to feel jittery. 可是，自从拉上这辆车，并没有出什么错儿，虽然他心中嘀嘀咕咕的不安。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• The thirty-six Enterprise divebombers were being squandered in a jittery shot from the hip. 这三十六架“企业号”上的俯冲轰炸机正被孤注一掷。

8 functionaries   

n.公职人员，官员( functionary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Indian transmitters were court functionaries, not missionaries. 印度文化的传递者都是朝廷的官员而不是传教士。 来自辞典例句
• All government institutions functionaries must implement state laws, decrees and policies. 所有政府机关极其工作人员都必须认真执行国家的法律，法规和政策。 来自互联网

9 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。