Sri Lanka Expelling Senior UN Official
斯里兰卡政府驱逐联合国官员
Sri Lanka's government is ordering the spokesman for the U.N. Children's Fund to leave the country. Our correspondent reports the expulsion stems from comments by the official that appeared in the international media in recent months.
斯里兰卡政府下令联合国儿童基金会发言人离境。这位发言人因最近几个月在国际媒体上发表的评论而被驱逐。
The United Nations confirms the spokesman for UNICEF in Sri Lanka has been ordered to leave for what the government says were adverse remarks he made.
联合国证实，联合国儿童基金会驻斯里兰卡发言人艾尔德已经接到令他离境的通知，因为，斯里兰卡政府说，他发表了有害的言论。
The visa for James Elder, an Australian, has been canceled effective Monday (Sept. 7), but officials say after an appeal from the United Nations he will be allowed to stay there under September 21.
詹姆士.艾尔德是澳大利亚人，他在斯里兰卡的签证被取消，于9月7日生效。但是有关官员说，在联合国提出申诉后，艾尔德被获准在斯里兰卡停留到9月21日。
Such an expulsion involving the United Nations is unusual, according to UNICEF regional communications chief Sarah Crowe.
联合国儿童基金会区域传媒负责人科洛说，涉及联合国官员的驱逐事件，十分罕见。
"It is somewhat rare," said Sarah Crowe. "We do work in many sensitive parts of the world and we are in more than 140 countries. We are there, of course, at the request and the invitation of any government."
“这种情况有些罕见。我们在世界很多敏感地区工作，我们的工作地点遍及140多个国家。当然，我们是应任何政府的要求和邀请而到这些国家工作的。”
Sri Lanka this year tightly controlled media coverage of fighting that led to the defeat of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
斯里兰卡今年收紧媒体对战事的报导。泰米尔伊拉姆猛虎解放组织在战斗中被打败。
The government also harshly criticized correspondents, international organizations and aid workers who it perceived of having a bias against it and sympathy for the rebels.
斯里兰卡政府严厉批评那些在他们看来对斯里兰卡政府有偏见，同情反政府武装的记者、国际组织和救援人员。
Four months ago Elder spoke about what he called the "unimaginable hell" suffered by Tamil children caught in the conflict.
四个月前，艾尔德曾提到卷入冲突的泰米尔儿童蒙受“难以想像的地狱般”的处境。
UNICEF's Crowe, speaking to VOA from Nepal, contends the agency did not take sides.
联合国儿童基金会的科洛从尼泊尔对美国之音说，联合国儿童基金会不偏袒任何一方。
"No, I believe certainly UNICEF's voice has remained one of impartial advocacy," she said. "And we will continue to do that, no matter what the circumstances are. And that voice of impartial advocacy has to be on behalf of those who are most vulnerable and who do not have a voice."
科洛说：“我当然认为，联合国儿童基金会发出的呼声一直是公正的。无论情况如何，我们都将继续这样做。这种公正的呼声必须代表那些最弱势的人们，那些毫无发言权的人们。”
During the military's final offensive to crush the rebels, UNICEF said hundreds of children had been killed in the months of battle in the north. The organization more recently has called for the government to allow unhindered access to aid workers in make-shift camps that house hundreds of thousands of Tamils, including women and children.
联合国儿童基金会说，在斯里兰卡政府军粉碎反政府武装的最后攻势中，数以百计的儿童在北部数月的交战中被打死。联合国儿童基金会最近呼吁斯里兰卡政府允许援救人员畅通无阻地进入临时难民营，那里有几十万泰米尔人，其中包括妇女和儿童。
Tens of thousands of people died in the conflict, which began in 1972. Sri Lankan troops this May wiped out the rebels and killed the group's founder and leader.
斯里兰卡政府军和泰米尔猛虎反政府武装之间的冲突始于1972年，在这期间有数万人死亡。斯里兰卡政府军今年5月消灭了反政府武装，并打死了该组织的创始人和领导人。