Journal of Political and Social Agenda

Editorial Note

Ekkarin Tuansiri — 2024-06-30

Stateless Democracy "Rojava"

Yutthasart Norkaew — 2024-06-27

This article aims to study the political development of the Kurdish people in the area "Syrian Kurdistan" where is one of the territories of "Kurdistan" according to the "Treaty of Sèvres" which gave the Kurds the right to establish a "nation state," but this was not guaranteed by ratification by an external "independent state." Later, the great powers joined together and sign again in The Treaty of Lausanne that led to the establishment of the "Republic of Turkey." That was unfairly replaced and the "League of Nations" divided the territory "Kurdistan" into 4 parts according to the "Sykes-Picot Agreement" by distributed within the sovereign states of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran until present. Later on, the Kurds jointed together and formed "Partiya Karkeren Kurdistan" (PKK) and "Partiya Yekîtiya Demokrat" (PYD) in sequence, in order to the purpose of maintaining their international political strongholds in both Turkey and Syria. However, the "Arab Spring" events brought significant changes to many strategic and geopolitical areas of the Middle East. In the end, the Kurds in northern and eastern Syria won a decisive victory. Therefore, the autonomous region "Rojava" was established within the sovereign state of Syria. By using guidelines "Democracy" is an important milestone in the administration under the form of government. "Democratic federation" with the foundation of sovereignty in the form of an inverted pyramid. Where citizens can freely exercise democratic power through various local committees without authority from the central government to control and oversee. This model differs from the governance model of a "nation state" which emphasizes on the foundation of sovereignty in the form of a "bureaucratic state" which based on international principles as seen in the global community in general. In conclusion, the stateless democratic process of "Rojava" represents a form of local governance characterized by a highly autonomous and administratively robust local organization, surpassing the governance of localities in the form of a "nation-state."

The awkwardness of interpretation of Islam and democracy

Muhammad Ilyas Yahprung — 2024-06-27

The Thai Muslims have been challenged by the coming of new values, especially, that which arising from the process of democratization of the Thai politic. Perceived by Muslims as un-Islamic, these values, among which are the rights of people to elect their leader, have to be readjusted and reinterpreted to suit the Islamic framework. The result is awkwardness, it achieves neither democratic objectives nor an Islamic one, worst still it monopolizes power to some actors, and excluding the rights of the entire Muslims communities. The Islamic Organization Administration Act 1997 (2540), the law governing Islamic affairs in Thailand is the best example of such awkwardness. The Act gives the position of Imam to be in office for life, the proponents insisted that there is no term limit for religious position of Imam in Islam. Then the Act gives the rights to Imam to elect Provincial Islamic Committee (PIC) which its members hold the position of 6 years in office. This provision denies ordinary Muslim’s rights in the community. The Central Islamic Council of Thailand (CICOT) – the organization administering Muslim affairs at the national level, and Chularatchamontri – the highest religious authority of Muslim communities in Thailand also suffered from similar results. This article demonstrates the shortcomings of traditional interpretation of Islam and democracy, and provides the alternative interpretations which benefit Muslim community. It also proposes new ideas of Islamic Organization Administration in Thailand.

Folk doctor and NCDs treatment

Chutchon Ajanakitti — 2024-06-28

The article examines the knowledge and practices of the folk doctor in Songkhla who mainly cure and heal patients suffered from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and hypertension. By intensively following and observing the renowned folk doctor in his daily activities, the author argues that the knowledge and practices of folk doctor are flexible. The folk doctor attempts to bridge the gap between traditional and modern medicine by translation meanwhile things such as herbal medicine and other medical instruments, as an actor, simultaneously enact to give rise to the multiple realities and the ontological politic of the disease. Finally, the life of a folk doctor is not static, and the existence of folk medicine is not simply marginalized, rather, it exists in an inherent and complex connection with biomedicine and modern society.

ว่าด้วย “คน” ในการจัดการภัยพิบัติ

Nutthawee Pumrachat — 2024-06-28

ชื่อหนังสือ “คน” ท้องถิ่น ในงาน “ปภ.” : การบริหารงานบุคคลขององค์กรปกครองส่วนท้องถิ่นด้านภารกิจป้องกันและบรรเทาสาธารณภัย

ผู้เขียน กานต์รวี วิชัยปะ

ปีที่พิมพ์ 2566

จัดพิมพ์โดย คณะสังคมศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยศรีนครินทรวิโรฒ

“The important factor, however, is that the format should indicate that disaster and managing it is a continuum of interlinked activity. It is not a series of events which start and stop with each disaster occurrence.” (Carter, W. Nick, 2008: 49)

สถานการณ์ภัยพิบัติ หากแบ่งอย่างง่ายก็จะเห็นภัยพิบัติในบริบทสากลและภัยพิบัติในบริบทของสังคมไทย ซึ่งทั้งสองบริบทนี้เองล้วนมีจุดร่วมกันประการหนึ่งคือแนวโน้มที่เพิ่มขึ้นของภัยประกอบกับความรุนแรงของภัยที่ดูจะทวีความรุนแรงมากยิ่งขึ้นกว่าในอดีต สภาพการณ์นี้เองที่นำมาสู่ความท้าทายประการสำคัญที่จะกลายเป็นโจทย์อันสลับซับซ้อนในสภาพภัยที่ถาโถมอย่างกระหน่ำ นับเป็นความท้าทายอย่างแข็งขันว่าเราจะสร้างองค์ความรู้ตลอดจนกระทั่งเทคนิควิธี รวมไปถึงการออกแบบการบริหารภัยพิบัติทั้งในเชิงโครงสร้างและไม่ใช่เชิงโครงสร้างในโลกร่วมสมัยในแนวทางใดและอย่างไรบ้างเพื่อที่จะป้องกันและรับมือกับสภาวการณ์ภัยพิบัติที่อุบัติขึ้นจากธรรมชาติอันอยู่เหนือการควบคุมของมนุษย์

Future Trends and Opportunities after the Restoration of Diplomatic Relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia

Amree Asae — 2024-06-27

Abstract

The research on the future trends and opportunities after the restoration of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia aims to study the opportunities and challenges post-restoration and revitalization of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia. It also seeks to examine the perspectives of experts, Thai Muslim scholars, and students on the restoration of Thai-Saudi relations. This research is qualitative, utilizing in-depth interviews covering articles, books, and related research. It employs the National Interests Theory to explain, through the PEST Analysis framework, the return to diplomatic relations, which brings opportunities for cooperation and mutual development to achieve national strategies, such as Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and Thailand's Bio-Circular-Green Economy. The researchers found that the restoration of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia brings opportunities for cooperation and mutual development, especially in political, security, economic, social, and technological innovation aspects. However, the researchers also found significant challenges in the restoration of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia, particularly in the social aspect, as past mistakes have led Saudi nationals to remember and worry about changes that contradict traditional customs. Therefore, it is necessary for both countries to study each other to gain new understanding in this current restoration of diplomatic relations.