US Finds Serious Flaws in Burma's Draft Constitution

美国国务院批评缅甸新宪法草案

The U.S. State Department said Thursday Burma's new draft constitution provides little hope for real change in the military-ruled Southeast Asian country. To be voted on in a May 10 referendum, the draft would leave major power in the hands of the military.

　

美国国务院星期四说，缅甸的新宪法草案为真正改变被军方控制的国家提供的希望非常渺茫。新宪法草案将在5月10号进行全民公决。这部宪法将主要的权力集中在军方手中。

The United States was an harsh critic of the Burmese constitution-writing process because it largely excluded the political opposition.

　

美国严厉批评缅甸制定宪法的程序，因为这部宪法基本上把反对派政党排除在外。

Now, the State Department says the draft produced by the country's long-running national convention provides scant hopes for those looking for democratic change.

　

现在，美国国务院说，由缅甸的国民大会召开旷日持久的会议制定的宪法没有为那些期待民主变革的人提供多少希望。

Published Wednesday, the nearly-200-page constitutional draft would reserve one-quarter of the seats in both houses of parliament for military officers, and give the country's military chief the right to suspend the constitution at any time.

　

这份将近200多页的宪法草案在星期三公布，根据这份草案，议会上下两院的席位有四分之一预先留给军官，同时，草案给予军队最高领导人在任何时候终止宪法的权力。

Another clause bars anyone who has been married to a foreign national from holding political office, a provision that appears tailor-made to exclude opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, once married to a British national.

　

另外一项条款禁止同外国人结过婚的人担任政治职务，这项条款显然是要将曾经同英国人结婚的反对派领袖昂山素季排除在外。

At a news briefing, State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said U.S. officials have made only a preliminary analysis of the draft but said a first reading indicates some issues of serious concern.

　

在一次新闻发布会上，美国国务院发言人麦科马克说，美国官员仅仅对草案作了初步的分析，但是，麦科马克说，最初的分析就已经显示出一些令人严重担忧的问题。

"It, at first glance, would appear intended only to perpetuate the rule of the existing military junta in Burma," he said. "It does not provide for the kind of open, serious and sustained dialogue with the democratic opposition forces in Burma that we as well as other members of the international community have called for, and that for example Aung San Suu Kyi has called for."

　

麦科马克说：“宪法草案一看就知道是只想让现在的缅甸军政权的统治永久持续下去。它并没有为缅甸的反对力量提供那种开放的、认真的和持久的对话。这样的对话是美国和国际社会的其他成员所要求的，也是昂山素季等人士所要求的。"

"So at first glance this draft constitution that the regime intends to put to a vote does not give much hope to those who are looking for real democratic change in Burma," he added.

"一看宪法草案就知道，缅甸当局想要让全民公决的这项宪法草案不要为那些希望缅甸发生真正的民主变革的人提供多少希望。”

Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, the NLD, won national elections in 1990 but was barred from taking power. The Nobel Peace Laureate has been under detention most of the time since then.

　

昂山素季领导的全国民主联盟在1990年的全国选举中获得胜利，但是被禁止执掌权力。诺贝尔奖获得者昂山素季从那时开始大部分时间一直被软禁在家。

In comments Wednesday, President Bush said he was disappointed with political progress made in Burma, and said the military authorities need to understand that they should not fear their own people.

　

布什总统星期三说，他对缅甸取得的政治进程感到失望，他说，缅甸军政权应该知道他们不应该害怕自己的人民。

The NLD walked out of the 14-year-long national convention in 1995 because of restrictive rules and was later expelled altogether. It has urged Burmese to vote against the draft on May 10.

　

全国民主联盟1995年从有14年之久的国民大会中退出，原因是该机构的限制性规定太多，后来该联盟被国民大会除名。全国民主联盟敦促缅甸人民在5月10号对宪法草案投反对票。

The military government Thursday accused the NLD of taking directives from unnamed foreign embassies which it claimed were trying to destabilize the country.

　

军政府星期四谴责全国民主联盟受未指名的外国大使馆的指使，军政府称这些大使馆试图破坏缅甸的国家稳定。

Asked about the charge of foreign meddling, State Department Spokesman McCormack called it a "canard."

　

国务院发言人麦科马克在谈到有关外国干涉的指控时说，这是一个“毫无根据的指责”。

He said Aung San Suu Kyi and others pushing for democratic change are Burmese patriots who had been working for a better future for the country long before the international spotlight became focused on them.

　

他说，昂山素季和其他推动缅甸民主变革的人是缅甸的爱国者，他们在国际社会关注他们之前就一直致力于让缅甸的未来更加美好。