Pro-Government Militias
Volunteer Defence Corps (Or Sor) (Thailand)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 515 |
| Country: | Thailand |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 1954 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The PGM was established in 1954 under the Ministry of Interior. |
| 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 |
| 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: | 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; crime |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): | One source indicates that when the “Volunteer Defense Corps” were founded, they received (financial) support by the CIA. It does not seem that this is the case today anymore. |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | no information |
| Primary Membership: | no information |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | South Thailand |
| Force Strength: | [2187, 8000] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious institutions; protect state, national or religious leader(s); self-defense and security; 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: | The Volunteer Defence Force, which is closely connected to the Ministry of Interior, is part of the government militia system. The PGM is also called Or Sor or just volunteers. 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 a source, it is the largest of the three and corrupt politicians established it for the personal purpose of conducting criminal activities. The group is characterised by strong loyalty to its political leaders and is seen as an agent of the district officers. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The group was established to support the state military and protect the local population from insurgents in border areas. This function was later expanded to include urban areas, where the group was supposed to counter insurgents. Another function is the protection of interior ministry officials and infrastructure in the South. One source reports that the PGM was used in the 2003 “war on drugs”. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | Sources state that the group was involved in extrajudicial killings and human rights abuses. Moreover, it has been reported that it had some role in the early stage of two massacres in 2004. The group was not able to protect civilians effectively and has been suspected of killings on behalf of interior ministry officials. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | yes |
| Reasons for Membership: | Members are reported to be involved in their own criminal activities, which may act as an incentive to join. News sources highlight loyalty to ministry officials as a characteristic of the group’s members, which could be another motivation to become a member. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | As a consequence of the formation of another paramilitary unit (Thahan Phran), the group’s size decreased from 52,000 in 1980 to 33,000 in the late 1980s. In the South, between 2002 and 2004 the group reportedly tripled in size due to an increase in violence and had 2,187 members as a result. The latest source states that the PGM had 8,000 members in 2008. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | According to news sources, training was provided by the Border Patrol Police and consisted of 45 days of basic military training. However, it was considered inferior to the training of regular soldiers. Reports state that the group was armed with different types of assault rifles and small arms and light weapons. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The group was subordinated to the Ministry of Interior (Department of Provincial Administration). On the district level, the command lies with the civilian district officer and an army lieutenant colonel serves as deputy. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.