Pro-Government Militias
People's Revolutionary Red Army (Sri Lanka)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 267 |
| Country: | Sri Lanka |
| Date formed: | Dec. 1, 1988 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | month |
| Details of Formation: | The first reports of the group are from December 1988. In one of them the group itself announced that it had just been created (early December). It is linked to the ruling United National Party and its members are security forces in run-up to presidential election on December 19, 1988. |
| Date dissolved: | Nov. 12, 1994 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | year |
| Details of Termination: | The last activity of the group was reported in 1990 without any further incidents reported after that year. 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. Disarmament was requested by state forces, but there is no further information on whether it was implemented or how successful it was. |
| 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?: | unclear | Main Creating Government Institution: | unclear |
| Government Link(s): | political party; state (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 |
| Primary Membership: | noncivilian |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | south; central |
| 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 |
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 group fought the JVP, killing (suspected) members under the broader goal of providing security and protecting members of parliament. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | Civilians were abducted and killed based on suspected membership in or support of the JVP. Their dead bodies were used to intimidate the population. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | kidnapping/abductions; killing |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | Membership may have had an ethnic component, with members being mainly Sinhalese. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | There was a suspected connection to the personal bodyguards of politicians, indicated by the use of weapons they were given in vigilante killings. News sources describe the group as professional and disciplined. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The government denied having any connection to the group, therefore it is unclear whether and how it exercised control. However, government support for the group and links to security forces have been alleged. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.