States and "Pro-Government" Militias (PGMs): Delegation, Deniability, Acquiescence or Antagonism? Explaining Variation in State-PGM Relationships

“这个博士研究项目提出了调查状态-PGM关系的复杂性和变化。有越来越多的经验分析，对额外的二元行为者，指的是“亲政府民兵”（PGMs），被广泛认为是非国家武装组织，在某种程度上亲政府。由于这些群体的定义是“亲政府”的取向，研究人员往往认为政府直接或间接地管理或委托任务给总理。然而，仔细观察就会发现与国家的各种关系。民兵，如危地马拉的民防游击队，作为政府领导和授权的反叛乱组织，享有半官方地位。其他人，如苏丹的金戈威德民兵，以非正式的身份运作，使政府能够否认他们的行动。在其他地方，政府与铂族金属有着敌对关系，甚至在军事上将其作为目标，例如伊拉克政府与伊拉克之子。此外，政府与PGM的关系可能会随着时间的推移而发生变化。研究还没有系统地解决这些变化的国家与PGM的关系。以北方爱尔兰，菲律宾和哥伦比亚作为比较案例研究，这项研究将探讨国家和反叛乱准军事组织之间的微妙关系（如阿尔斯特志愿军，公民武装部队地理单位，和哥伦比亚联合自卫军），以及这些关系如何以及为什么在案件之间和随着时间的推移而变化。这个项目将有助于我们了解国家-PGM的关系，通过提供理论，解释在政府PGM的关系的变化，从开放的国家领导的准军事组织，通过国家和反叛乱组织之间的敌对接触。"

"This PhD research project proposes to investigate complexity and variation in state-PGM relationships. There is a growing body of empirical analyses on extra-dyadic actors that refers to "pro-government militias" (PGMs), conceived broadly as non-state armed organizations that are pro-government in some way. Because these groups are defined by their "pro-government" orientation, researchers often assume that governments directly or indirectly manage or delegate tasks to PGMs. However, a closer inspection reveals a variety of relationships with the state. Militias such as the Civilian Defence Patrols in Guatemala enjoyed semi-official status as a government-led and mandated counterinsurgent organization. Others like the Janjaweed in Sudan have operated in an informal capacity that allowed the government to disavow itself of their actions. Elsewhere, governments have had an antagonistic relationship with PGMs and even militarily targeted them, such as the Iraqi government with the Sons of Iraq. In addition, government-PGM relations can shift over time. Research has not systematically addressed these variations in state-PGM relationships.Taking Northern Ireland, the Philippines, and Colombia as comparative case studies, this research will examine the nuanced relationships between the state and counterinsurgent paramilitaries (such as the Ulster Volunteer Force, Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Units, and Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia) and how and why these relationships vary between cases and over time.This project will contribute to our understanding of state-PGM relationships by providing theories that explain variations in government-PGM relationships, from open state-led paramilitaries through to hostile engagement between the state and counter-insurgency organisations."