As Thailand under the military-sponsored constitution will become a more democratically regressive state after the general election next year than it was prior to the 2014 coup, the Royal Thai Police (RTP) this week came up with -- or were forced to come up with -- what can only be described as a backwards policy.
The Royal Police Cadet Academy (RPCA) will ban women from enrolling starting next year. This is a retrograde and sexist move that will bring the police force back to the bad old days of operating deep within a patriarchal system.
As the media, women's rights' groups and even members of the public are questioning the merits of the policy, both the RTP and its academy had until yesterday remained tight-lipped on the issue.
