VOA标准英语2008年-Rights Groups say New Zimbabwe Government Faces

Zimbabwe's leaders are meeting to choose a new government as part of a power-sharing agreement signed Monday aimed at ending the country's political crisis. But human rights groups say they will press the new unity¹ government to reign² in abuses by security forces and punish previous human rights violations³. Correspondent Scott Bobb reports from our Southern Africa Bureau in Johannesburg.
　
President Robert Mugabe (l) shares light moment with new Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai (r) at signing of power-sharing deal in Harare, 15 Sep 2008

Human rights groups say Zimbabwe's power-sharing agreement is a step forward, but the unity government created by the accord must address human rights abuses if it is to succeed.

Amnesty International's Zimbabwe expert, Simeon Mawanza, says the government of President Robert Mugabe has been violating human rights for years.

"Under international law a country, especially Zimbabwe, would have a responsibility to ensure that victims of human rights violations get justice," he said. "And the unity agreement should not be used as a mechanism⁴ to deny victims their right."

The Zimbabwe accord followed months of negotiations⁵ between Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF party and opposition⁶ leader Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change.

Mawanza worries that the unity government created by the agreement will amnesty those who committed human rights abuses.

"During the mediation⁷ process, human rights were not so much featured in the dialogue or in the discourse⁸ of the mediation process," he said. "And it is time now that human rights become central as part of the investment in the long-term sustainable peace of the country."

Amnesty International would like to see a mechanism set up to investigate human rights violations and look at reparations for their victims.
　
Three members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) who say they have been beaten by members of Mugabe's youth with sticks pose in Harare, 03 May 2008

The opposition says more than 100 activists⁹ were killed and thousands beaten or tortured during this year's election campaign.

The opposition won parliamentary elections in March and Mr. Tsvangirai won more votes than Mr. Mugabe in the first round of the presidential vote. But Mr. Mugabe won a runoff election after Mr. Tsvangirai withdrew, citing a campaign of state-sponsored violence.

The Africa Deputy-Director of Human Rights Watch, Carolyn Norris, says the new government should send a signal to the Zimbabwean people and international community by taking some immediate¹⁰ steps.

"And that includes really important things like, for a start, dismantling¹¹ the torture camps which are still operational in parts of Zimbabwe, releasing all the political prisoners and stopping this whole program of spurious political charges against members of the MDC," she said.

She says many opposition leaders, including six elected members of parliament, were detained in recent weeks on politically motivated charges. And hundreds of political prisoners remain in jail.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who was beaten in February while trying to hold a rally, acknowledged the need to address human rights during remarks at the signing ceremony in which he praised ZANU-PF leaders.

"Those colleagues that have made this historic opportunity possible, only through a public acknowledgment of past wrongs can we begin the process of national healing," he said.

Activists acknowledge that Zimbabwe's new leadership faces daunting¹² challenges, including easing food shortages for millions of people and rebuilding the country's decayed infrastructure¹³, health services and education system. But they say reforming the justice system and strengthening the rule of law are also important for the successful reconstruction¹⁴ of the nation.

 

1 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

2 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

3 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。

4 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

8 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

9 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》

10 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

11 dismantling   

（枪支）分解

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。
• The dismantling of a nuclear reprocessing plant caused a leak of radioactivity yesterday. 昨天拆除核后处理工厂引起了放射物泄漏。

12 daunting   

adj.使人畏缩的

参考例句：

• They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
• Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。

13 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。

14 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。