According to a senior researcher with the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch (HRW), the insignia used by members of armed groups consist "most often" of a "very primitive kind of armband, with letters printed on a piece of cloth, then placed on the upper arm" (13 May 2003). A number of documentary sources provide descriptions of such insignia; examples follow.

In January 2001, Venezuelan state security forces reportedly encountered an encampment of members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia's (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC) 41st front in the Perijá border region (FIM 5 May 2002). They described the FARC fighters as wearing rubber boots, olive green hats, camouflage uniforms or green coveralls bearing the FARC logo and armbands with the three colours of the Colombian flag (ibid.).

In a newspaper report describing the April 1999 hijacking of a Panama-bound Avianca flight, a former hostage claimed that the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional, ELN) captors were distinguishable by the "red band" (cinta roja) they wore as an armband (El Panamá América 10 Dec. 2001).

Armbands worn by members of the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, AUC) are variously described as being red or black (Semana 22 Feb. 2003; Observa 11 Mar. 2001), and as bearing the letters "AUC" (Equipo Nizkor 20 Aug. 2002; El País 21 Nov. 2002).

According to Sanho Tree, a fellow at the Washington-based Institute of Policy Studies who undertook a fact-finding mission to Colombia's Putumayo department in 2001, "it's very difficult to tell the difference between the paramilitaries and the military - and the rebels, for that matter" (The Week Online with DRCNet 2 Feb. 2001). This statement was corroborated by the senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, who indicated that "there is no fast rule about the wearing of insignia. Often it's difficult to tell what group is maintaining a roadblock, since they all can wear army-style uniforms or civilian clothing" (13 May 2003).

Documentary sources consulted by the Research Directorate offer contrasting information regarding guerrilla groups' use of insignia during combat or kidnapping operations. On 1 September 2002, FARC fighters wearing "'uniforms and armbands'" carried out a mass kidnapping of at least 20 individuals in a rural area in Sucre (EFE 2 Sept. 2002). However, in another incident in April 2003, a group of approximately 50 individuals "'who wore no armbands'" yet who were believed to be members of the FARC, abducted a Calí municipal government official (El País 8 Apr. 2003).

In a 27 March 2002 report, the Washington Post claimed that state security forces' February 2002 reoccupation of the safe haven ceded to the FARC had led the guerrillas to shed their uniforms in favour of civilian dress.

In January 2003, a journalist and a photographer employed by the Los Angeles Times were stopped at a roadblock in Arauca department manned by eight to ten individuals in civilian clothes who claimed to be members of the FARC's 45th front and the ELN's Domingo Laim front (Miami Herald 16 Feb. 2003). The two hostages were subsequently brought to a building in a rural area where they encountered a number of guerrillas, "most dressed in civilian clothes, packing pistols. These turned out to be ELN militia members who had already served their time as regular rebels and were now on some sort of reserve duty" (ibid.).

The use of insignia by AUC paramilitary forces is similarly inconsistent. During his visit to Putumayo department, Sanho Tree reported seeing paramilitary members on the streets of the capital, Puerto Asíz, adding that "they were the ones who didn't have a Colombian flag on their shoulders. Sometimes they put on an AUC armband" (The Week Online with DRCNet 2 Feb. 2001). AUC members are also reportedly active in Medellín's Comuna 13 district, although their presence there is "discreet" (discreta) and they do not wear fatigues or armbands (Semana 22 Feb. 2003). However, in a 16 March 2003 report, El Espectador referred to a gas station in the Belén Altavista neighbourhood in Medellín that was guarded by an armed individual wearing paramilitary armbands.

Sources consulted by the Research Directorate offer contrasting information regarding the use of armbands or other insignia by AUC forces stationed at checkpoints. In September 2001, Human Rights Watch claimed that the AUC had maintained a roadblock on the road between Puerto Asíz and La Hormiga for a year, and that it was manned by three AUC members "dressed in civilian clothes" when human rights investigators passed through the area in September 2000. However, other reports published in 2001 and 2002 refer to checkpoints in Santander and Magdalena Medio where AUC personnel were wearing paramilitary insignia (ACI 4 Sept. 2002; Equipo PBI-Colombia 16-29 Apr. 2001).

On 16 April 2001, BBC Mundo referred to the killing of "dozens" (decenas) of individuals in Cauca by a group of approximately 500 paramilitary members wearing false ELN armbands.

According to the senior researcher with Human Rights Watch, "if the security forces see guerrilla insignia, they generally attack. But often, soldiers let paramilitaries wearing insignia pass" (13 May 2003). Uniformed AUC members were reportedly seen walking, mounting patrols or playing pool in a number of towns in Putumayo department without eliciting a response from state security forces (HRW Sept. 2001). No additional information on security forces' reaction to the sight of individuals wearing guerrilla insignia could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Agencia Católica de Informaciones en América Latina (ACI). 4 September 2002. "Prensa relata odisea popular de Obispo para liberar a secuestrados en Colombia." http://www.aciprensa.com/notic2002/setiembre/notic1636.htm [Accessed 13 May 2003]

BBC Mundo. 16 April 2001. "Matanza paramilitar en Colombia." http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_1280000/1280997.stm [Accessed 14 May 2003]

EFE. 2 September 2002. "Colombia - Kidnapping. At Least 20 Peasants Taken Hostage by Colombian Guerrillas." (Global News Wire/NEXIS)

Equipo Nizkor. 20 August 2002. "Informe sobre la situación en el Cauca. Por la Red de Derechos Humanos del Sur Occidente Colombiano 'Francisco Isaias Cifuentes'." http://www.derechos.org/nizkor/colombia/doc/cauca6.html [Accessed 13 May 2003]

Equipo PBI-Colombia. 16-29 April 2001. No. 178. "Por los chulos encontramos a mi papá." http://www.peacebrigades.org/colombia/piq178.html [Accessed 13 May 2003]

El Espectador [Bogotá]. 16 March 2003. "Guerra silenciosa en Comuna 13." http://www.elespectador.com/2003/20030316/nacional/nota1.htm [Accessed 13 May 2003]

Frente Institucional Militar de Venezuela (FIM). 5 May 2002. Ibéyise Pacheco. "Informes del ejército prueban que las FARC operan en el país." (Google cache) http://www.fimvenezuela.org/articulo.asp?ID=42 [Accessed 14 May 2003]

Human Rights Watch (HRW), Washington. 13 May 2003. Email correspondence from Senior Researcher, Americas Division.

_____. September 2001. The "Sixth Division": Military-Paramilitary Ties and U.S. Policy in Colombia. http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/colombia/index.htm [Accessed 14 May 2003]

Miami Herald. 16 February 2003. Scott Dalton. "Rebel's Words Changed Life of Photographer, Reporter for 11 Days." http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/special_packages/focus/5196250.htm [Accessed 14 May 2003]

Observa [Montevideo]. 11 March 2001. "Luchan para controlar Barrancabermeja." (Google cache) http://www.observa.com.uy/elobservador/ed010311/INT/N00200.html [Accessed 13 May 2003]

El País [Calí, in Spanish]. 8 April 2003. "Colombia: Cali Mayor Says FARC Behind Lamus Kidnapping." (FBIS-LAT-2003-0408 8 Apr. 2003/WNC)

_____. 21 November 2002. "El Patía, en resistencia civil contra las autodefensas." http://elpais-cali.terra.com.co/historico/nov212002/REG/C521N2.html [Accessed 13 May 2003]

El Panamá América [Panama City]. 10 December 2001. Elizabeth Muñoz de Lao. "Del secuestro al fortalecimiento familiar." http://www.elpanamaamerica.com.pa/archive/12102001/nation09.html [Accessed 15 May 2003]

Semana [Bogotá]. 22 Feburary 2003. "¿Cambio de manos?" http://semana.com/archivo/articulosView.jsp?id=68395 [Accessed 14 May 2003]

Washington Post. 27 March 2002. Scott Wilson. "Rebels' New Tactic Avoids Contact with Army, Focuses on Cities." http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A22696-2002Mar26 [Accessed 14 May 2003]

The Week Online with DRCNet [Washington]. 2 February 2001. No. 171. "Interview: Sanho Tree on Colombia." http://www.drcnet.org/wol/171.html [Accessed 14 May 2003]

IRB databases

Unsuccessful attempts to contact two oral sources.

Internet sites, including:

Colombia Support Network

Colombia Update

Flags of the World

Radio Caracol [Bogotá]