Village and tambon leaders rallied in several provinces on Monday in protest against the proposal their terms would be shortened and that kamnans be elected by their communities.
Village and sub-district heads submit their letter of their complaint at the Khon Kaen provincial hall on Monday, opposing proposals that would see their life-tenure ended and kamnan elected directly by their communities. (Photo by Jakkrapan Nathanri)
Hundreds of sub-district chiefs, or kamnan, and village chiefs showed up at their provincial halls on Monday morning, defying the martial law prohibition on such rallies.
They confirmed their strong opposition to putting a limit on their terms in office, instead of remaining in the job until the retirement age of 60 years, and to the people in their communities choosing their kamnan by direct election.
At present, village residents elect village chiefs, or phuyai ban, who in turn elect the kamnan of their tambon, or sub-district.
About 300 kamnan and village heads showed up at the provincial hall in Khon Kaen about 10am. They submitted a letter to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha through Khon Kaen governor Kamthorn Thawornsit, calling for a review to the idea, which they said jeopardised the positions of local administrators.
Tasanai Suksabai, head of a club of kamnan and village heads in Khon Kaen, said local government administrators were worried about this idea being floated by academics, the National Legislative Assembly, the National Reform Council and some political groups. He called it an extreme form of power decentralisation.
Mr Tasanai said that kamnan and village heads had insights into local problems, and the move to limit their terms came from academics and some political groups who wanted to favour their own networks.
He complained that the government acted to please government officials with higher salaries and better welfare, but ignored kamnan and village heads.
"Those in power ... should clarify this matter. If it is unclear, kamnan and village heads nationwide will hold a massive rally to demand a clear response and show their power to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at Government House after the New Year festival," Mr Tasanai said.
Similar rallies took place in Ratchaburi, where about 500 local administrators were reported to have gathered, and in Phitsanulok and Ubon Ratchathani provinces, with about 200 outside each provincial hall. There were also demonstrations reported in Pattani, Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phuket and Bangkok.
Vinai Chanthanasot, head of the kamnan and village heads association in Ratchaburi, said they had done nothing wrong, but their positions were now jeopardised. Their protest would escalate unless they received a satisfactory reply within seven days.
The provincial authorities who received the protest letters from the local administrators promised to forward them immediately to the government.
Near Government House, Yongyot Kaeokheo, head of an association of kamnan and village heads, sent his letter addressed to the prime minister.
He said about 300,000 kamnan and village heads represent local people and communicate their problems to the government, and they already serve well to decentralise power. He opposed any movement to change the local administrative structure.