Pro-Government Militias

Pro-Government Militia Website

Satgas PDI-P (Indonesia)

Basic Group Information

Name assigned by coder: no
PGM ID Number: 346
Country: Indonesia
Date formed: Oct. 20, 1999
    Accuracy of date formed: year
Details of Formation: The PDI-P is Megawati Sukarnoputi's party. This group is the militia wing of the party. The origin date of 20 October 1999 reflects Megawati's accession to the Vice-presidency. In 2001 she became President. According to sources, the Satgas PDI-P was formed after the party’s election success in 1999 to compete with the already existing militia wings of other parties.
Date dissolved: Oct. 20, 2004
    Accuracy of date dissolved: year
Details of Termination: Megawati lost the Presidency on 20 October 2004. The militia wing was banned but apparently revived later.
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: governing party
Government Link(s): person/minister; political party
    If link to party, name of party: Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)
Training and Equipment: yes
Shared Information and Joint Operations: yes
Shared Personnel: no
Type(s) of Material Support: no information; crime
State Sponsor(s): none
Other Connection(s):

Group Characteristics

Membership: ideology; adolescents; party activists
Primary Membership: political
Alternative Primary Membership: no information
Location: East Java, Jakarta
Force Strength: [unknown, unknown]
Target(s): unarmed political opposition, government critics; other pro-government militias
Purpose(s): protect state, national or religious leader(s)

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 had tasks related to internal security and was intended to provide security for the Party Congress and during rallies as well as helping the police to maintain public order at large gatherings and to provide a show of force at demonstrations and campaigns. The militia served as a private army for its party and a counterbalance in the competition for resources with other youth organisations.
Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use loyalty

Treatment of Civilians

Treatment of Civilians: The use of violence by the group intimidated civilians.
Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: unknown

Reasons for Membership

PGM Members Coerced? no information
PGM Members Paid? no information
Reasons for Membership: Blind loyalty to the group’s leader Megawati in the broader frame of a militaristic cult is reported as a strong component of the group, therefore political and ideological reasons may have played into the decision to become a member. The group was supposedly also involved in thuggery, so material benefits might also have played a role as well.
PGM Members Killed? rarely

PGM Size

Size:

Weapons and Training

Weapons and Training: The group apparently received some military training from former members of the military. Members of the PGM were armed with knives.

Organisation

Organisation: As the name suggests, the militia was strongly linked to the PDI party. It cooperated with the police in fulfilling its duties. However, the party’s chairman and Vice President Megawati had difficulties controlling illegal actions of members of the group.

Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis

Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD.

Evidence