US Lawmakers Vote to Extend Sanctions Against Burma
美国会推动立法加强经济制裁缅甸
U.S. lawmakers have been commenting on the situation in Burma as the U.S. Congress advanced legislation to strengthen and renew unilateral U.S. economic sanctions against the Burmese military government.
美国国会议员一直在关注缅甸的局势，目前美国国会推动新的立法，延长并加强对缅甸军政府实行单方面的经济制裁。
The House of Representatives voted to extend U.S. trade sanctions against Burma's military government for one year, as companion legislation moved ahead in a Senate committee.
美国国会众议院投票同意美国对缅甸军政府的贸易制裁延长一年，与此同时，参议院一个委员会也在进行相关的立法程序。
Sanctions prohibiting U.S. imports from Burma were first put into place in 2003, as a U.S. response to the refusal of Burma's military go restore democracy and improve human rights conditions.
禁止美国进口缅甸商品的经济制裁措施最初从2003年开始， 那是美国对缅甸军政府拒绝恢复民主、拒绝改善人权做法所做出的回应。
In Wednesday's floor debate, Democrats and Republicans rose to support the extension, citing the Burmese military's use of force against democracy demonstrators last year, and its initial blocking of international relief aid for cyclone victims.
在星期三的国会辩论中，民主党人和共和党人都明确支持延长制裁，并指出缅甸军政府去年使用武力来对付民主示威的民众，并在今年遭受强热带风暴后的初期阶段阻止国际社会对灾民的援助。
"While there can be concerns about the universal effectiveness of unilateral sanctions, Burma clearly presents a unique situation. There is overwhelming evidence that Burma continues to blatantly disregard HR (human rights) and suppress democracy and it is therefore important to continue the important ban for another yearm" said Sander Levin, a Michigan Democrat.
桑德.利文议员是来自密西根州的民主党人。他说：“在人们担心单边制裁行动能否产生普遍效果的时候，缅甸却显然是一个特殊情况。有大量的证据显示缅甸继续明目张胆地无视人权并压制民主，因此继续对这个政权实行禁运是重要的。”
Republican Wally Herger describes himself as a skeptic where sanctions are concerned, suggesting that the U.S. import ban does not appear to have pushed Burma's military toward democracy and greater respect for human rights.
共和党人沃利.赫格说，他自己对经济制裁持怀疑的态度，他认为美国的禁运政策似乎没有发挥推动缅甸军政府向民主迈进以及更多地尊重人权的作用。
Despite this, he says U.S. sanctions must continue because the situation has been getting worse rather than better. "That said, in light of the events of the past year I believe we have no choice but to continue these sanctions, not only to remind Burma's leaders that their actions are inexcusable but also to communicate to the impoverished Burmese people that we have not abandoned their cause," he said.
不过他说，美国的制裁必须继续下去，因为缅甸的局势更加恶化而不是好转了。他说：“尽管如此，根据过去一年的局势，我认为美国没有其它办法，只能继续实行制裁，不仅以此来提醒缅甸领导人他们的行动是不可原谅的，同时也向贫困的缅甸民众传达一个信息，就是我们没有不顾他们的事业放弃他们。”
In addition to moving toward renewal of the U.S. import ban, Congress has acted on the Burmese JADE Act, which closes a gap relating to gem stones reaching the U.S from Burma through third countries.
国会除了准备延长美国的禁运之外，还推动了一项针对缅甸的另一项“玉石”法案，填补了有关缅甸玉石通过第三国进入美国的漏洞。
Approved by the Senate Tuesday after earlier House passage, that measure also makes members of Burma's ruling military government along with other military officials and family members ineligible for U.S. visas.
这项法案经众议院通过以后，星期二参议院也予以批准，这个法案同时禁止缅甸军政府和其他军事官员以及他们的家属得到美国的签证。
At the same time, lawmakers stopped short of including a stronger provision that would have required the U.S. Chevron company to give up its share of the Yadana natural gas project in Burmese waters.
不过，国会议员却没有在法案中加入一个更强硬的条款，要求美国雪佛龙公司放弃他们在缅甸海域亚达纳YADANA天然气工程的股份。
Instead, the JADE Act contains only non-binding language urging Chevron to consider divestment from the project if the military government does not move toward democratic and other reforms.
然而，“玉石法案”仅以不具约束力的行文敦促雪佛龙考虑，如果缅甸军政府不实行民主、不进行其它改革，就从该工程中撤回投资。
Burma also came up in a separate House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing focusing on China and the 2008 Olympics.
在众议院外交关系委员举行另外有关中国和2008年奥运会的一次听证会上，缅甸问题再次出现。
There, Republican Dana Rohrabacher criticized Beijing for its support of Burma's military and its involvement in such places as Sudan. "Let's note, why is the dictatorship in Burma in place? Because of the dictatorship in Beijing. Burma is a vassal state of the Chinese Communist party," he said.
The primary House sponsor of U.S. import ban legislation, Democrat Joseph Crowley, called Wednesday for the Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) and the European Union to do more to step up financial and other pressure on Burma's military.
这项美国经济制裁议案的发起人、众议院民主党人约瑟夫.克劳利星期三呼吁东南亚国家联盟和欧盟各国作出更多的努力，在金融和其它方面对缅甸军政府增加压力。
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice told ASEAN leaders meeting in Singapore that it is in the organization's interest to press Burmese military rulers to begin a dialogue with democracy leaders.
美国国务卿赖斯在新加坡对参加东盟会议的各国领导人说，推动缅甸军事统治者开始和民主派领袖对话符合东盟的利益。
