Pro-Government Militias
Village Protection Volunteers (Or Ror Bor) (Thailand)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 514 |
| Country: | Thailand |
| Date formed: | Sept. 1, 2004 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | month |
| Details of Formation: | The “Village Protection Volunteers” were initiated by Thailand’s Queen Sirikit in 2004 but the PGM is overseen by the Royal Aide-de-Camp department, which belongs to the defense ministry. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | PGM is still active in 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? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no information |
| 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: | person/minister |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister; 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 |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; religious |
| Primary Membership: | no information |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | South Thailand, especially Narathiwat |
| Force Strength: | [5530, 10000] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; ethnic group |
| Purpose(s): | protect property and investment; self-defense and security; intimidation of ethnic/religious groups; intelligence gathering |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | Malay Muslims (Thailand) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | given |
| Ethnic Membership: | Thai (Thailand) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | given |
| Ethnic Purpose: | Malay Muslims (Thailand) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | given |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The Village Protection Volunteers are also known as Or Ror Bor, Town Protection Volunteers and Or Ror Mor. The PGM consists mainly of Buddhists who protect their buildings and people. Originally, the idea was to form a mixed group of Buddhists and Muslims. The group 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. Furthermore, the group also recruited women as members. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The main task of the group was the provision of security to villages, with the protection of Buddhist minorities as the main focus. There were also security related functions, e.g. surveillance and intelligence. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | According to reports, the group used violence against suspected insurgents and attacked civilians, particularly targeting Muslims. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | yes |
| Reasons for Membership: | According to sources, the group consists exclusively of Buddhists, suggesting an ethnic incentive for membership. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | According to a report, the training was provided by military officials and lasted ten to fifteen days (for the first 1,000 recruits). The group’s members were provided with rifles and shotguns. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The group is controlled by the Royal Aide de Camp Department, which in turn belongs to the Defence Ministry. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.