Dispute management through peaceful means by community leaders in Khuan Suban Subdistrict Ban Na San District Surat Thani Province

Abstract

          This research aims to 1) study the problems and causes of conflicts occurred in the community of Khuan Suban Sub district Administrative Organization, Ban Na San District, Surat Thani Province and 2) explore the approaches to resolving any conflicts in the community of Khuan Suban Sub district Administrative Organization, Ban Na San District Surat Thani Province and seek the appropriate approach to managing the conflict in the community of Khuan Suban Sub district Administrative Organization, Ban Na San District, Surat Thani Province. The research adopted the qualitative research method as well as the in-depth interview and focus group approaches.

         The study results revealed that the conflicts could be divided into four aspects, namely a conflict arising from unequal public service access, a conflict arising from different values and habits, a conflict of interest and a conflict arising from different ideologies that caused divisions. The causes of the conflicts included an interest, relationship, values, communication and information and structure and/or rules of society, respectively. It also found that there were three major conflict management approaches, namely nonviolent method, ignorance, and violent method, respectively. The nonviolent methods had two approaches including negotiation and legal proceedings. An appropriate approach ensuring the win-win situation and successful mediation was a process of negotiation with mediator.

          The study puts forward recommendations as follows. 1) Policy
Recommendation includes creating communication channels for understanding, promoting relationships in the community, supporting the community and plan implementation, changing the work paradigm with principle of people participation. 2) Structural recommendation includes amending rules and regulations to ensure relevant people comply with them to prevent and resolve any conflicts, for example, establishing rules to ensure that the community takes part in the mediation process, any disputes must be resolved by the mediation process as the dispute resolution process is entirely optional and the prescription or limitation of conflicts must be determined for the mediation process as well as establishing the rules for the agreements arising from the conciliation agreement in the mediation.