2007年VOA标准英语-Burma Ends 14-Year Process on Drafting New Cons
时间:2019-01-07 作者:英语课 分类:2007年VOA标准英语(九月)
Bangkok
03 September 2007
Burma's military-appointed National Convention has concluded a 14-year process on drafting guidelines for a new constitution and a possible return to civilian 1 rule. But as the National Convention held closing ceremonies, security forces continued to round up pro-democracy activists 3. VOA Southeast Asia correspondent, Luis Ramirez, reports from Bangkok.
Some 1,000 delegates ended their work to draft guidelines for a new constitution with a closing ceremony at a military base north of Rangoon Monday. No foreign journalists were allowed to attend the event. But witnesses say Acting 4 Prime Minister Lieutenant 5 General Thein Sein called the meeting a "victory" for all of Burma's people.
The next step is to write the constitution before it is put to Burmese voters for approval. However, it is not clear who will actually write the document and no timeline has been set for the entire process, which, in principle, is supposed to move one of Southeast Asia's poorest countries to democracy after more than four decades of military rule.
The National Convention, which met intermittently 6 over 14 years, was appointed by the military government and excluded Burma's main pro-democracy figures - casting doubts about its legitimacy 7.
Khin Omar is a prominent pro-democracy activist 2 who took part in the 1988 student protests, ended by an Army crackdown that killed about 3,000 people. Watching events in Burma from exile along the Thai border, she tells VOA she sees Burma's generals are not ready to give up power.
"Honestly, I don't see any hope that this constitution will bring for the people on the ground. This whole constitution is a whole setup for the regime to just legalize their power forever in the national politics," said Omar. "They've been planning to make sure that in the new constitution, they have the military power also guaranteed, as well as their military uniform changed into civilian uniform."
Resumption of the constitutional convention was part of the country's seven-point plan called the 'roadmap to democracy' unveiled by more moderate government elements in 2003.
Ohn Than is arrested by Burmese authorities shortly after staging a solo protest against the military government, outside the U.S. embassy in Rangoon, 23 Aug 2007
The international community has since pressed Burma for faster and more concrete movement for a peaceful political transition, to little avail.
The military continues to suppress dissent 8. The latest is a crackdown on several weeks of protests against government imposed steep hikes the price of fuel. Monday, a group of demonstrators tried to stage a march from Labutta to Rangoon. Witnesses say security forces stopped the demonstrators after a short distance and arrested several protesters.
International human rights advocates say more than 100 activists have been arrested, some of them severely 9 beaten and tortured.
The United States has voiced concern about abuses committed by Burmese security forces against pro-democracy activists. President Bush is expected to raise the issue and press Burma's neighbors to do more to stop the abuses when he attends a summit of Asia Pacific leaders in Sydney, Australia this week.
- There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
- He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。
- He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
- He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。
- 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》
- Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
- During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
- He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
- He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官,递上了一张简短的便条进去。
- Winston could not intermittently remember why the pain was happening. 温斯顿只能断断续续地记得为什么这么痛。 来自英汉文学
- The resin moves intermittently down and out of the bed. 树脂周期地向下移动和移出床层。 来自辞典例句
- The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
- Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。
- It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
- He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。