UPDATED ON:
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
04:43 Mecca time, 01:43 GMT
 
News Asia-Pacific
Hello Kitty, goodbye bad cops

The cute cat will adorn the biceps of
police guilty of
minor offences [EPA]

Thai police officers caught for a range of minor misdemeanours will have to sport hot pink armbands of Hello Kitty, the Japanese icon of cuteness, as a form of punishment.
 
The striking armband features the Hello Kitty cat character invented by Japan's Sanrio Co in 1974 sitting atop two hearts.
Officers caught littering, parking in a prohibited area or arriving late, among other things, will also be forced to spend a whole day in the division office with the deputy chief.
Police Colonel Pongpat Chayaphan, the acting chief of the Crime Suppression Division in the capital, said senior officers had to resort to such a move as a deterrent.
 
"Simple warnings no longer work. This new twist is expected to make them feel guilt and shame and prevent them from repeating the offence, no matter how minor," he said.
 
"[Hello] Kitty is a cute icon for young girls. It's not something macho police officers want covering their biceps."
 
Pongpat said police caught breaking the law will be subject to the same fines and penalties as the public.
 
"We want to make sure that we do not condone small offences," he added.
 
Hello Kitty has been popular for years with children and young women, including pop stars and Hollywood celebrities.
 
The celebrity cat adorns everything from diamond-studded jewellery, Fender guitars and digital cameras to lunch boxes, T-shirts and stationery.
 Source: Agencies
 
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