Today in History-July 15

英语自学网

　　Thousands of women and children have been expelled from the 'safe
haven'
        　　1995: Serbs force Muslims out of Srebrenica
        　　England have
        　　Thousands of Muslim refugees are fleeing the captured "safe area" of
Srebrenica forced out by the Bosnian Serbs.
        　　United Nations officials say it is the biggest "ethnic cleansing" operation
since World War II.
        　　Some 40,000 women, children and elderly people have been ordered to leave
the compound at Potocari where they had been under the protection of Dutch
peacekeepers.
        　　The Dutch soldiers - part of the UN peacekeeping force - appear to have
been powerless to defend Srebrenica against the Serbs who seized control of the
town on 11 July.
        　　Atrocities
        　　Reports say all Muslim men over 16 were rounded up as they attempted to
flee the advancing Serbs - but these have not yet been confirmed.
        　　The Bosnian Serbs have refused access to journalists and international
organisations.
        　　There are many tales ofatrocities- rape, massacres and psychological
torture - circulating among the refugees now arriving in the northern Bosnian
town of Tuzla.
        　　The biggest fear is for the men who have been left behind. Many wives and
families fear they will never see them again.
        　　One woman told relief workers she had seen the Serbs slit her husband's
throat and that she had seen at least eight other bodies.
        　　The Bosnian Prime Minister, Haris Siladjdzic, has blamed the Bosnian Serbs
for the atrocities.
        　　"Massive massacres were committed by Serbian terrorists upon the civilians
of Srebrenica," he said.
        　　"There are hundreds of witnesses that arrived yesterday to Tuzla, speaking
of horrendous crimes there; hundreds of bodies, naked, stabbed and killed by
Serb terrorists."
        　　The refugees are huddled together in flimsy shelters in a temporary UN
camp.
        　　Anne-Marie Huby of Medecins Sans Frontieres said: "These people are already
survivors of earlier waves of ethnic cleansing in 1992 and 1993.
        　　"They really thought, when they saw the Serbs come in this time, that it
was their last hour. Our aid workers say people are absolutely convinced they
will not see their men again."
        　　Dehydrated
        　　The makeshift camp has virtually no toilets and aid workers are warning
that diarrhoea could become endemic within days.
        　　Thousands spent last night sleeping rough and have no daytime shelter from
the strong winds and blistering sun, leading to fears of mass dehydration and
heat exhaustion.
        　　The United Nations has begun busing refugees out of the reception camp to
other sites so they can be better cared for.
        　　The Bosnian Serbs now appear to have their sights set on Zepa and Gorazde,
two other UN-designated 'safe areas'. If they succeed in taking them, then there
will be virtually no Muslims left in the eastern half of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
        　　Speed cameras are rife across Britain
        　　2000: Police camera action violates human rights
        　　Artificially 1969:
        　　The Two men caught on camera for dangerous driving have escaped prosecution
in a landmark case.
        　　Judge Peter Crawford ruled that the police letter sent to motorists caught
on speed cameras required them to incriminate themselves and was therefore in
breach of their human rights under European law.
        　　In a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court he dismissed the charges under
Article Six of the European Convention on Human Rights which becomes law in
England and Wales later this year.
        　　This is the first time that a judgement like this has been made in England
or Wales and it is expected to cause confusion for many drivers.
        　　Spokesperson for the RAC, Frank Delancy said: "It has brought a great deal
of uncertainty and it really needs to be cleared up with a minimum of
delay."
        　　A similar case occurred in Scotland last year and now hundreds of
prosecutions are on hold there waiting for Crown Office appeal.
        　　One of the defence solicitors in Birmingham, Talbir Singh, said: "In
future, in speed camera cases, the prosecuting authorities and police are going
to have to rethink the way they are going to send letters out to motorists."
        　　Amesh Chauhan, 22, of Moseley, and Dean Hollingworth, 23, of Hall Green
were accused of being filmed by police in a gang racing cars around the Barford
Street area of the city.
        　　The Crown Prosecution Service may appeal against the court's decision to
drop the charges.
        　　Vocabulary:
        　　atrocity :an appalling or atrocious action(残暴;暴行)