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 Words in the News
INTRO 
 BBC South East Asia Correspondent Simon Ingram reported on worries for the safety of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
IN FULL 
 AudioListen to the report in full
Aung San Suu Kyi

7th September 2000

Aung San Suu Kyi

NEWS 1 
 AudioListen to the first part of the report
  Amnesty International says it is gravely concerned for the safety of Aung San Suu Kyi and thirteen of her party colleagues. They’ve not been heard from since Burmese security forces forcibly took them back to the capital Rangoon early on Saturday morning, bringing an end to a nine-day stand-off with the authorities. Amnesty says that if the NLD leaders are being confined to their homes the government should allow them freedom of movement. The military authorities say Ms Suu Kyi and the others are not under house arrest but have been asked to stay at home and to co-operate with an investigation into suspected links between their party and various outlawed anti-government organisations.
  AudioListen to the words
WORDS 
 

gravely concerned -very worried

colleagues - people you work with are your colleagues

forcibly - using physical strength

stand-off - if two forces are against each other and neither side is prepared to give way it is called a stand-off

NLD - National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi's political party

confined to their homes - not allowed to leave their houses

suspected links - connections that are believed to exist

outlawed - if something is not permitted or allowed, it is outlawed

NEWS 2  AudioListen to the second part of the report
  In its statement, Amnesty says there is no evidence for such links, which it points out are routinely used to justify the arrest of dozens of NLD supporters. An even more forthright reaction to the government’s allegations came from the United States’ charge d’affaires in Rangoon, Priscilla Clapp. She dismissed them as a malicious fabrication. Evidence of an impending clampdown on the opposition has drawn harsh and widespread condemnation of the government over recent days.
  AudioListen to the words
WORDS  

forthright - strong

allegations - if you say that someone has done something wrong, you make anallegation

malicious fabrication - a lie told deliberately to harm someone

impending clampdown - strong restrictions coming soon

drawn harsh and widespread condemnation - caused strong criticism from many countries

   
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