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Village Scouts (, ) is the common name of a
right-wing Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...
, ultranationalist
social movement A social movement is either a loosely or carefully organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a particular goal, typically a Social issue, social or Political movement, political one. This may be to carry out a social change, or to re ...
and paramilitary
militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...
of volunteers from rural
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
. It is a countrywide organization that the King and Queen of Thailand have sponsored since 1972 in order to promote national unity. It was first founded by the Thai Border Patrol Police (BPP) under the aegis of the
Ministry of Interior An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, th ...
.


20th century Village Scouts

The Village Scouts were mustered from 1971 on to fight the communist insurgency and the pro-democracy movement in Thailand as well as the progressive Farmers' Federation of Thailand. They were modeled on the "grass roots" defense organizations in
South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
. At their core were rich and independent farmers. The king and the royal family visited Village Scout units to bless their scarves and flags. The Village Scouts would act as "ears and eyes" of the government and report strangers entering their villages to local officials. A short time after the establishment of the Village Scouts, over five million Thais, or 10 percent of the population, had completed the organization's five-day training course. From 1971 to 1985, more than ten million adult Thais had gone through Village Scout training, with around two million people attending recruitment sessions in 1976 alone. The Village Scouts were deployed to counter the protests of the pro-democracy and students movement. They were called via radio to occupy strategic points in all major towns during the protests against US bases in the country and against the return of ousted military dictators Thanom Kittikachorn and
Praphas Charusathien Praphas Charusathien (, , ; 25 November 1912 – 18 August 1997) was a Thai military officer and politician. He was a Field Marshal (Thailand), field marshal of the Royal Thai Army and minister of interior in the governments of military rulers Sa ...
. The probably best-known, and most impactful, mission of the Village Scouts was during the anti-leftist rally that led to the Thammasat University massacre on 6 October 1976, in which at least 46 people were killed and led to the subsequent coup d'état and return to military rule. The organisation increasingly appealed to urban, right-wing conservatives, gradually moving away from its poor, rural base. By 1976, the Village Scouts were a primarily urban movement funded by middle and upper-class Thais, and "increasingly took on a fascist character". The movement fizzled out during the 1980s.


21st century Village Scouts

The Village Scouts re-emerged as an ultranationalist mass organization after the turn of the millennium against the backdrop of the Muslim separatist conflict in the three southernmost provinces.


See also

* Cyber Scouts (Thailand) * Red Gaurs * Nawaphon * Rubbish Collection Organization * Thai Rangers


References

{{reflist Anti-communism in Thailand Vigilantes Nationalist movements in Asia Paramilitary organizations based in Thailand Military units and formations established in 1971 Communist insurgency in Thailand Far-right politics in Thailand