OPINION

Cop gender bar wrong

Re: "RTP extends 'males-only' policy to cadets", (BP, Sept 3).

Again the Royal Thai Police shows us why it needs top-to-bottom reform so urgently. Pol Maj Gen Kittirat Pumphet, deputy director, RTP human resources office, has ordered that effective next academic year, only males will be admitted to the Royal Police Cadet Academy, meaning the chances of females becoming commissioned officers are virtually nil.

No reason was given, but this year, the RTP allowed only men to apply to be inquiry officials, alleging that females are tied down with family affairs.

Around the world, women have proven that they can contribute to society at large on an equal basis as their male counterparts -- and still keep up a healthy and robust family life. For example, Naraporn Chan-o-cha of Chulalongkorn University's Language Institute rose on her merits to become associate professor before retiring, while still successfully raising her twin daughters. Lt Col Ladda Tammy Duckworth, US Army, who is of Thai descent, fought as a combat helicopter pilot until seriously wounded, and became the first sitting US senator to give birth while in office. Even Saudi Arabia now allows women to drive cars.

The RTP should publicise job descriptions and key performance indicators that are job-relevant, clear, measurable, and gender-neutral for all posts from director-general on down, omitting vague words like "appropriate" and non-relevant ones like "seniority" (it's accomplishments that count, not keeping a seat warm).

The police are extremely important in our society's growth. We need the best and the brightest, regardless of gender.

Re: "The shifting role of Asians in America", (Opinion, Sept 3).

Racial preferences in higher education automatically translate into racial discrimination against Asians as long as, as a group, Asian students achieve higher academic standards. This is not for the greater good as it deprives society from the contributions of talented individuals. It does not benefit blacks either as empirical studies show that affirmative action decreases the percentage of blacks graduating from college as it results in a mismatch between them and their peers.

At the end of the day, racial preference policies as presently implemented are blatantly racist and only benefit Democrat politicians at the expense of everybody else. American Time Use Surveys show that Asian high school students spend four times more time on homework than blacks, and twice as much as whites. Punishing Asian students for, I suppose, doing too much homework cannot be construed as moral, sensible or equitable under any possible standard except apparently for Democrats.

Re: "Marks of great men", (PostBag, Sept 4).

Andy Phillips is spot on in pointing out that all great men have their flaws, but I have to object to his description of Sir Winston Churchill as a "drunk". Winston certainly enjoyed a drink, lots of drinks in fact, his daily consumption of alcohol was prodigious, but he was never a drunk, nor an alcoholic. One of his favourite quips was "I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me".

Perhaps Andy is basing his assumption on another, but probably apocryphal, Churchill quip. When supposedly accused by a prominent lady politician at a dinner party of being drunk, Winston retorted "My dear, you are ugly, but tomorrow I shall be sober and you will still be ugly." He wouldn't get away with that nowadays, I'm afraid.

Re: "Ban threat for teen in rape case", (BP, Sept 3).

"We must separate quality tourists and the bad ones". Ahh, yes. Will the sage who spouted that bit of wisdom please enlighten us as to just how this is done?

It is time Thailand created a special board that should review all comments made by its ever so wise, vigilant and protecting police force, prior to their speaking to the news media.

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