MILESTONES
HONOURED: Two Bangkok
Post reporters, for excellence. The work of current Oped editor Sanitsuda Ekachai was recognised with the “women in the media” award from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and the Sathira Dhammastan Centre — for “long-standing commitment” to social justice, protection of ethnic minorities and her writing on Buddhism. Meanwhile, Karnjana Karnjanatawe won the Women’s Empowerment Journalism Award for best online story of 2014 — her feature on the 24-year struggle of Pak Mun Dam activist Sompong Wiengjun.
REGISTERED: As the leftist Palikot’s Movement candidate for the May 10 election for president of Poland, Anna Grodzka. Ms Grodzka (her name means “cucumber” in Polish) is the first transgender MP in the Roman Catholic country. She had her sex change in Thailand in 2010.
ARRESTED: After what police said was a highly lucrative 10-year crime spree, alleged con artist Uthai Nan-thakhan, 40. Ms Uthai, a transsexual, told the media she approached Japanese businessmen and tourists on the street, pretending to be a non-Thai foreigner. She told them she had lost her ticket home, asked for help, and pretended “her family” had transferred money into the victims’ band accounts, who gave her cash in return, after which she disappeared. Detectives said she made 100 million baht in 10 years.
BEHEADED: In yet another online production of the so-called Islamic State, Japanese freelance journalist Kenji Goto. He was the second Japanese man murdered in a month by the militant group. The extremists said Japan should suffer for giving aid to Middle East war victims.