Pro-Government Militias
Hun Sen's Bodyguard Unit (Cambodia)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 239 |
| Country: | Cambodia |
| Date formed: | Aug. 28, 1995 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The Bodyguard Unit was preceded by Briagde 70 which was also an elite VIP protection unit for Prime Minister Hun Sen. The Bodyguard Unit was first mentioned in 1995. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | Hun Sen is still the prime minister of Cambodia and therefore, it seems plausible that the group still exists. Even though the last evidence is from 2012, nothing else was reported. |
| Termination Type(s): | not terminated |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | unclear | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | no information |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | no information |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | no information |
| Primary Membership: | no information |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Phnom Penh |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, 1500] |
| Target(s): | unarmed political opposition, government critics; foreign military |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious leader(s); protect national borders and integrity |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The official purpose of the Bodyguard Unit was to protect Hun Sen and to protect national territory and integrity (against Thai troops and during the 1997 clashes). |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The Bodyguard Unit has been linked to political killings. In 1997, it was involved in a grenade attack against opposition member rallying on Easter Sunday. 19 people died and an estimated 150 wounded. Hun Sen denied involvement, but at the same time threatened to kill potential enemies. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | |
| PGM Members Killed? | unclear |
PGM Size
| Size: | A news source from 1997 says the bodyguards had 1,500 members. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The Bodyguard Unit has a vast array of military hardware readily available. It is armed with guns. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | In the 1990s, Kov Samuth, a senior Interior Ministry official had been a commander of the Bodyguard Unit. In 2012, a news source reports that Hun Sen’s first eldest son, who holds the military rank of a Major General, is the deputy commander Hun Sen’s Bodyguard Unit. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.