VOA常速英语2008年-Activists Fear Cover-Up in DRC Bas-Congo Violen

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
08 April 2008

Human rights activists¹ in the Democratic Republic of Congo fear a cover-up is taking place in the aftermath of violence in the western Bas-Congo region earlier this year. Clashes opposed police and a now banned political religious movement. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from our West and Central Africa bureau in Dakar.

The head of the Congolese-based ASADHO African human rights organization, Amigo Gonde, says his group's work and testimony² from residents in the Bas-Congo region indicate the existence of three mass graves. He says several dozen bodies were seen lumped together at three sites. The last mass grave to be discovered was in the town of Materne, between the cities of Boma and Matadi.

But he says last week, apparently³, the bodies were dug up and moved, as part of a possible cover-up.

Residents in Materne say pieces of bodies were left behind, and that there is still a horrible odor, and they wonder if they will get sick.

Gonde says the military is guarding the two other sites, so that it is impossible to investigate the other mass graves as well. He says it is very difficult to find out how many people were killed in the unrest. He says residents say they saw many bodies floating in a nearby river as well.

The government says fewer than 30 people were killed. Officials from the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo says their findings indicate about 100 people were killed.

They say they are investigating the reports of mass graves.

Other human-rights activists say a local doctor, who had been part of an official inquiry⁴ into the violence, was replaced and harassed⁵ by authorities after he started speaking of the existence of mass graves.

Lawmakers in the capital Kinshasa have called for an independent inquiry. They have also called on the newly outlawed⁶ Bundu dia Kongo movement to dismantle⁷ its training camps, and to clarify its status before it can become legal again.

The group's spiritual leader is also an elected lawmaker, but authorities in Kinshasa say members of his group attack state targets, kill police, and chase away non-natives.

The group has also called for the restoration of the pre-colonial kingdom of Kongo, which also includes parts of Angola and Gabon. It has also set up its own tribunal system and a vigilante group called the Makesa, who are armed with whips.

1 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》

2 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

3 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

4 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

5 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

6 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

7 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。