A model village defence volunteer programme
By Sumeth Parnpeth
A valuable lesson learned from the prolonged war against insurgency in the deep South is that there is no way for the state to win the war by the use of force and to restore peace and order in the region unless there is cooperation from the local people.
Hence, many projects have been initiated and implemented with the objective to encourage public participation in efforts to protect their motherland. Among them are the training of various defence volunteer forces namely the para-military ranger force, village protection force and two protection force.
Whether the training programme is a success or a failure remains debatable. But in Klong Hoi Khong district of Songkhla, the programme to train villagers to protect their village and its resources undertaken by the 21st infantry regiment of the Royal Guards can be used as a model for the other villages in the strife-torn region.
The main objective of the programme is to enable the villagers to take over from the army in looking after a royally-sponsored model farm which covers an area of 800 rai of land. About 500 volunteers have been trained under the programme.
Because of the fact that 90 percent of the population in Klong Hoi Khong district are Buddhists and the rest Muslims, there was no problem about recruiting the volunteers since the majority of the people are involved in para rubber agriculture.
Captain Narongwit Taowangnai, assistant chief of intelligence and general staff of the 21st infantry regiment, said the voluntary force would help in protecting the farm and the village from infiltration from the insurgents although troops stationed in the farm are the main force to keep peace and order.
The training course focuses on cooperation and coordination among the locals in the prevention and suppression against illicit drugs, strengthening community networks, occupational training with emphasis on sufficiency economy, natural resources conservation as well as loyalty towards the Monarchy.
Captain Narongwit said the expectation from the training programme was that the local people would be able to protect their own villages and their natural resources and to help inform the authorities about the activities of the insurgents.
One of the volunteers, Mr Vorawuth Chukadee, 22, 0f Tambon Kok Muang, said he decided to join the programme because he wanted to help out in peace keeping and to weed out illicit drugs in his community. The same opinion is also shared by another volunteer, Mrs Pimjai Kaewprachum of Tambon Thung Larn.