The Role of Village Headmen in Conflict Resolution: A Case Study of , Province Kumpee Thongpoon Faculty of Liberal Art and Education, Hatyai University, [email protected]

Abstract The roles of village headmen are very important factor in solving conflict in the village. They stop problems and also change conflicts into positive ways through their authority. They could alleviate the conflict issues before sending them to the court. They perform their roles based on their potential, skills, and feature of disputes as well as conflict situations. Since unrest in southernmost has reached to Tepha district which once has long been calm area in Songkhla province. It is viewed as violent area due to the separatist movement. This violent evidence has emphasized how important the village headmen are.

Key words: Village headmen, Conflict resolution, Role, Songkhla province

1. Introduction Thailand is a society that has social relationship with family and share 2. Literature review with generosity. The societies are not too 2.1 Concept of roles large. They have commitment to follow Adiwatanasit (2532: 45) states that the traditions of their ancestors and the role of the status, coupled with the their implementation. If the conflicts or social status of a conceptual framework for controversies happen in the community, a common understanding of society. The people will go to see someone who role is considered from behavioral acting is respected or superior in of a person and status of their existence. solving problems. Later, it was appointed Khengkun (2537) studied the role of the head of the village. This role was village headmen in the era of globalization transferred to the village chief and village and found that there are several important headmen for resolve conflicts in the factors resulting in the existence of village community. Solving the conflict in the headmen. Firstly, village headmen are district and village, there has been naturally born. They possess charisma much altered. It depends on the leadership and are respected by people in characteristics of the village to resolve the the village. Secondly, the amendment of conflict with a major role in the village as Local Government Act 2457 is also a key the local government to resolve factor in changing of the role of the village disputes without going to the court. It headmen in order to meet the changing shows how the role of the village needs of modern society. Thirdly, the headmen depends on the nature of the election of village headmen is to support conflict. It includes the severity situation of the democratic system. It opens to the the problem and to manage conflicts. public in the district to directly elect In this study, author focused on the officer. If people are not satisfied with the role of the village headmen in the conflict selected person, he/she can be changed. resolution: a case study of the Thepa Fourthly, authority of the village Headmen district, Songkhla province. can support central government. It also Thepa is one of the contributes to the governance of all forms. four districts of Songkhla province For example, local governments in which unrest has been happening. It relates , there are headmen in each to the three southern border provinces’ district. They can support the central situations. The government also government to be more effective. has declared that Thepa is considered as Moreover, Champamon (2539) studied the violent area. The purposes of this study are role of village headmen in the conservation (1) to study the conflict in Thepa district of of Environment and natural resources. He Songkhla province, (2) to study the role of conducted the case study of Banpai district the village headmen in the resolution of in Khonkhaen province. His results conflicts in Theph district of Songkhla reported that most village headmen have a province, (3) to study how to greater role in the implementation of the resolve conflicts in Thepa policy of the Department of Conservation district of Songkhla province. and Natural Resources. It indicated that The reason why Thepa district is Ministry of the Interior and related the case study are (1) this area is a agencies should have a clear policy and combination of multicultural areas between practice. They should be trained to expect and Malayu Muslim, and (2) village headmen in playing a role in this area is related to unrest situation in the forming policy. three southernmost provinces. 2.2 Role theory Sengpracha (2541: 136) discussed Since then, the village headman is firstly the role that the concept is elected at Bang Pa-in, Ayutthaya province, the status of compliance behaviors. The on August 10, 2435. This is considered as role of social behavior and people with the beginning of a democratic government their homework as a teacher to teach in the country. The rules also appear more students, the police have to escort people, pronounced. Central government the armies have to fence the country, promulgates the local government children obey their parents and so on. Act 2457. The public administration has to Suratnakawigul (2542: 65-66) has follow new administration system. All ideas about the role that it is as the provinces are divided into districts and abstract. They consist of three aspects. The villages respectively. Also, Ministry ideal role is expectations of individuals in of Interior announced that ten of August of the society for guiding practices. The each year is the village Headmen day. person who has the status of ideal role should conduct his/her life based on ideal 2.4 Conflict role. However, he/she may not follow this There are several scholars have role is also acceptable. The perceived role provided the meaning of conflict. is a role that people consider themselves Accordint to the Royal Institute of Thailand how he/she should be. It depends on dictionary BE 2542 (2546: 78), conflict is attitude, values, individual personality and simply defined as a disagreement. Other experience. The actual role is the role that scholars have given more details of people are acting. It depends on actual conflict which related to behaviors of situation, resulting in different action in individuals. each context. Santiwong and Santiwong (2535: 124) have given the meaning that conflict 2.3 Village Headmen refers to behavior between groups. It Reconstruction of the central derives from expected values and government purposed by department of incentives which related to each other. Provincial Administration (2553: 39-79) Santiwong (2537: 284) also highlighted mentions that King Rama V that the conflict as a hatred condition. graciously announced a new series of 12 People compete for a better position. ministries which apply from Western Oppression is occurred between groups, countries. The distribution of resulting in the separation of subgroups. power and responsibility are put to Consequently, it deems that there is no particular expertise. King has absolute collaboration. It does not affect only the power to command and control the disagreement of thoughts, but it leads to lords. Reformation of provincial the intervention and disturbance from the government which includes the cities along opposite sides destroy intention to work of the border is called “”. The one side. objective of policy is to protect the country Kesukpun (2538: 161) defines from colonial threats which called as conflict as misunderstanding among “Thesapiban system”. In collaboration of individuals or groups. They may be not Thesapiban has shown the relationship satisfied to continue their work due to the among country, district, and limited management position and village. Commissioner is responsible for unfairness. Meanwhile, Sengmani (2544: implementing policies and orders of 128) has provided that disagreement can be the central government. The reforms in happened from individual differences of the provincial government are established attitudes between people, leading to the with Thesapiban. In do so, the King impeding of task related goals. Refer to Rama V graciously start by making a small Wongvnutara (2544: 158), conflict is project. Then it is gradually expanded. defined as disagreement between two people or more. It is caused by limited successful approach. Conflict between resources that people have to allocate. groups will be transformed to joint Moreover, conflict is the impact of solution. The two dispute parties will differences of individual values and figure out the way to overcome conflict. perception. They all together attempt to stop conflict Sanyawiwat (2546: 38) defines through their consensus. conflict as an incompatibility, resulting in dispute, fighting, intimidating, forcing, and 3. Methodology taking advantages in order to win in the 3.1 Sample situation. Purposively selected sample of the Finally, Watanasup (2547: 10) population in the Thepa district, Songkhla notes that conflicts and disputes over the province which plays a major role in the terms used interchangeably, but in some functioning of district and village chiefs cases there is a sense that it is specific. The are (1) All seven Kamnans of sub-districts conflict is a matter of opinion or belief in Thepa district, Songkhla province, differently. However, the parties can work (2) the village Headmen in the Thepa together. For example, spouses may have district, Songkhla province were selected, conflict; however, they are still happy with resulting in a total of 14 persons from each living together. sub-district. They were purposed by Kamnan of each sub-districs, who hade 2.5 Conflict Resolution appropriate role of guardian in an Silapiyodom (2540: 44-45) interview with the conflicts resolution in suggests that conflict can be solved the community. Therefore, the total through three means, power and samples used in this study were 21 persons suspension, compromise, and integrative (seven Kamnans and 14 headmen). problem solving. Power and suspension The following processes are consist of four ways. They are firstly (1) study of concepts, theories and forcing which refers to authorized actions. research on the role of the village to However, this means may lead to negative resolve the conflict in the community, consequences. Secondly, smoothing is (2) use the information from the study to deemed to be appropriate way in solving the synthesis and to meet the research conflict. Meanwhile thirdly, avoidance is objectives in this study, (3) the instrument unwilling to solve conflict. This also can development is adapted from be happened especially by the top Silapiyodom (2540), Chaiyarat (2551), and management views. Possibly, their Trakunpichayachai (2552) as a guide for perspectives on such conflict are not this study. seriously problematic to the group or organization. Fourthly, majority rule is also 3.2 Data Collection the appropriate way in solving conflict. Research instrument used in this This way will be more beneficial, if study is structured interview. It consisted members of groups are in line with rules of six parts. Part one was demographic and justice. profile of respondents. Part two was According to compromise means, characteristics of headmen. Part three was the management attempts to stop conflict roles of headmen. Part four was conflict using the third party. This means is that occurs in the village. Part five was relatively more useful comparing to using approach of conflict resolution in the power and suspension. There is some village. Part six was suggestion advantages that individuals between two Twenty one of village headmen group have less hostile feeling. were interviewed by author. Finally, the integration problem (1) The interview data were solving is considered as the most analyzed and classification purposes the framework defined in this study, (2) competition, saving cooperation, and The interview data were analyzed content production of community goods and (content analysis) and relevant documents, product. Then, people will be involving in (3) make descriptive presentations and these activities leading to more content analysis (descriptive analysis), participation among people in the which describes the purpose of the community. Furthermore, for the unrest question indicated. conflict, village headmen set a security group to assure safety in their areas. In 4. Results addition, they also encourage young In particular, the problem that was generation to learn their culture and happened from family problems. There context of their community through were many problems that got effect from historical study. With the hope that, these family problem as drug problems, crime, activities can both prevent and solve contention, while also had political issue conflict in community. in the community. Now, political In summary, the means of conflict institutions also lose stability and resolution within village were purposed in confidence in the country. It becomes a big several ways. They primarily solved social problem that makes government to conflicts with the participation of people, seriously solve it. Moreover, unrest in and followed by compromise and authority the region is also viewed as an power that included majority rules, important problem of the country. smoothing, and avoidance respectively. The study found that causes of Moreover, headmen also worked with local conflicts in communities in Thepa district, government in doing activities. However, it Songkhla province consist of (1) should be noted that people still relied controversy, (2) lack of unity, (3) political more on headmen rather than local issues, (4) drugs, (5) crime, (6) family government. problems, and (7) unrest problem in the areas. 5.Conclusions and Discussions For the role of headmen, it was 5.1 The village headmen are found that the village headmen played expected by people to solve conlict in the three critical roles in solving conflict and community and be a representative of governing people in their community. village to propose the proposal to official They could play ideal role through unit for community development. reasonableness, truth, justice, sincerity in 5.2 In circumstance, families solving problems, care and assistance inclined to collapse. Then, people in the people, and responsibility. Results also community have to preserve and support suggested that being committed to the the existence of families in order to prevent serious practices, engaging in working and the impact of the families collapse. attempting of resolving conflicts could 5.3 The best player in solving reflect their perceived role. Additionally, conflicts is that people in community they could demonstrate their actual role themselves. Further than that the official is through being fully work, being a good the second choice to be invited into the coordinator, being honest, as well as picture. straightforward working. 5.4 The conflict resolution that is In particular, the violent conflict the most suitable can be used in which is related to the community, the community is the compromise and village headmen utilize the participation of integration of problem solving. their people as the appropriate means in 5.5 The research interviewed only solving such conflict. In order to do so, the village headmen because of the time village headmen strategically create and to do research. For the organize several activities such as sport next, researcher should interview the other social of institutions such as teacher, the Imams, the monks or religious institutions,and the elders in the community.

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