Police chiefs in the Thai capital, Bangkok, have come up
with a new way of punishing officers who break the rules - an
eye-catching Hello Kitty armband. The armband is large, bright pink
and has a Hello Kitty motif with two hearts embroidered on
it.
From today, officers who are late, park in the wrong place or
commit other minor transgressions will have to wear it for several
days.
The armband is designed to shame the wearer, police officials
said.
"This is to help build discipline. We should not let small offences
go unnoticed," Police Colonel Pongpat Chayapan told Reuters news
agency.
"Guilty officers will be made to wear the armbands in the office
for a few days, with instructions not to disclose their offences.
Let people guess what they have done," he said.
Further offences would be dealt with using a more traditional
disciplinary panel, he said.
The cartoon character Hello Kitty was first introduced by Japanese
company Sanrio in 1974.
The cute round-faced cat has become an Asia-wide marketing
phenomenon, with Hello Kitty products such as stationery, hair
accessories and kitchen appliances available across the
region.
Source: BBC
