Word: thailand
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...Thailand loves a good fight: Thais flock to watch kick-boxing, Olympic boxing (the first sport in which the Kingdom struck gold at the Games) and even transvestite boxing - one of the country's biggest celebrities is champion pugilist Parinya Charoenphol, who fought like a man to earn enough money to become a woman. Now, Thais have a new champion to celebrate: In April, a pint-sized woman named Siriporn Taweesuk, a.k.a. the Black Rose, did her homeland proud by pummeling her feisty Japanese opponent to capture the World Boxing Council light-flyweight title. The only catch? Siriporn is currently...
...Thailand's sports-mad Corrections Department rewarded Siriporn's feat by shaving three years off her sentence. That means that on June 13, the Black Rose will sashay out of the high-security Women's Correctional Institution for Drug Addicts, where she first learned boxing three years ago in part to protect herself from more aggressive jail-mates. (Siriporn also took prison courses in cooking, hairdressing and sewing, but none captured her imagination as much as boxing...
...Anticipating possibly violent demonstrations following a guilty verdict against TRT, the military junta had ramped up security on Wednesday, putting 10,000-plus soldiers and police on alert. Earlier in the week, websites loyal to Thaksin were shut down by Thailand's Ministry of Information and Communications Technology. In addition, many pro-TRT radio stations have been barred from the airwaves. On Wednesday, several schools in Bangkok were shuttered for fear of bloodshed on the streets...
...rare public statement last week, Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej expressed concern over potential violence ensuing from the tribunal's verdict, counseling the country's judges "to make the right interpretation, otherwise the country will be doomed." The King added that no matter what decision the judges made, they would be criticized for their ruling...
...moment, however, the tribunal appears to have avoided major demonstrations, largely by unveiling the announcement of TRT's demise just before midnight on Wednesday - too late for protestors to convene. Clever timing, though, may not be enough to thwart future protests. Thailand's political crisis isn't over...