Pro-Government Militias
Village Defence Volunteers (Chor Ror Bor) (Thailand)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 249 |
| Country: | Thailand |
| Date formed: | Oct. 27, 1984 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The “Village Defence Volunteers”, created by the Ministry of Interior, are first mentioned in an article in 1981 (unclear if pro-government). The government itself announced that the group was formed in 1985 when they replaced a group called "Village Security Teams". However, there is evidence that the group was pro-government and active in 1984. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | PGM was still active by the end of 2014. |
| Termination Type(s): | not terminated |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | yes |
| 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: | semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | military; state (institution) |
| Government Link(s): | state (institution); military (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government; self-maintained |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | religious; village/rural; adolescents; children |
| Primary Membership: | local |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Southern Thailand, Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla and Yala |
| Force Strength: | [40000, 47000] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; ethnic group |
| Purpose(s): | self-defense and security; intimidation of ethnic/religious groups; intelligence gathering; anti crime |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | Malay Muslims (Thailand) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | given |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | Malay Muslims (Thailand) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | given |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The PGM consists of local, small groups of each village that receive training by the military in the beginning. It is one of the three main militias (Volunteers Defence Corps, Village Defence Volunteers, Village Protection Volunteers) that operate in the south of Thailand and are similar in their function and structure. According to news sources, members were sometimes reluctant to perform their intended duties or use their weapons. The group was accused of using children to fulfil their own tasks. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The group was intended to fight communist insurgents and other opposition groups and to protect the population and provide security in villages in the south. Members also assisted officials with law-enforcement activities, such as patrolling, guard duties and information gathering. Some sources report that the group was used against refugees from Laos. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The group has been accused of shooting civilians. News sources indicate that the PGM was not successful at protecting civilians from insurgents. |
| 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: | According to a report, the group was expanded after 2004, resulting in 47,000 members. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | News sources state that training was initially provided by the military, but then simply by trained members to untrained ones. There are various statements on how long it lasted, from a few days up to one month. Training was controlled by the Department of Provincial Administration. It is reported that the training did not prepare members of the group effectively to use their weapons. The weapons provided to the group by the government included shotguns, automatic weapons, bullets and hand grenades. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The group carried out joint operations with security forces, such as (border) patrol duties, and was controlled by the Ministry of Interior. The Department of Provincial Administration is responsible for training and the Chief District Officer for the appointment of members. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.