Pro-Government Militias
Green Tigers (Sri Lanka)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 263 |
| Country: | Sri Lanka |
| Date formed: | Dec. 2, 1987 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | Allegedly formed by the military, the green tigers are an organization of armed civilian supporters and off-duty police and soldiers linked to the ruling United National Party. |
| Date dissolved: | Nov. 12, 1994 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | year |
| Details of Termination: | The last PGM activity is mentioned in 1991, afterwards there are no more incidents. The termination of the PGM is coded on November 12, 1994 when the new president Kumaratunga (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) took office and a new cabinet was formed. |
| Termination Type(s): | change in government |
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?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | military |
| Government Link(s): | political party; state (institution); military (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | United National Party |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | yes |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | security forces; party activists |
| Primary Membership: | political |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | South and north east |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | unarmed political opposition, government critics; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious leader(s); intimidate political opposition; fight insurgents |
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: | Sources report that the group operated mainly at night and that members were motivated in part by revenge against rebels for attacks and killings. The group’s name originates from the UNP’s official colour, green. It has been compared to Latin American death squads. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The main purpose of the group was to fight rebels, in particular the JVP, and defend the interests of the then-governing United National Party (UNP). |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The group has been reported to be responsible for killing suspected insurgents and committing human rights abuses. It also caused panic among citizens where it operated and bullied shopkeepers. |
| 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? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | There is no information on whether the group received arms and training by the government from the news sources available. However, sources state that off-duty soldiers and police were among its members, so it may be inferred that the training of those individuals was provided by the government. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | Though there is no clear information on leadership and command structures, it has been reported that the group was closely linked to and formed by the police and armed forces. However, it was not under the direct command of officials belonging to those forces. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.