| Country: | Thailand |
| 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. |
| Details of Termination: | PGM is still active in 2014. |
| 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. |
| Organisation: | The group is controlled by the Royal Aide de Camp Department, which in turn belongs to the Defence Ministry. |
| 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. |
| Size: | -- |
| Reason for Membership: | According to sources, the group consists exclusively of Buddhists, suggesting an ethnic incentive for membership. |
| Treatment of Civilians: | According to reports, the group used violence against suspected insurgents and attacked civilians, particularly targeting Muslims. |
| 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. |
| References: |
Human Rights Watch. 2010. “Thailand: Insurgents Target Teachers in South”. https://www.hrw.org/news/2010/09/10/thailand-insurgents-target-teachers-south. September 10, 2010. Human Rights Watch. 2009. “Thailand: Prosecute Rights Violators in the South”. https://www.hrw.org/news/2009/12/01/thailand-prosecute-rights-violators-south. December 1, 2009. Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD. |