Myanmar may be the first country where Chinese private security companies will operate under civil war conditions expanding the footprint of Beijing’s influence which is already very substantial.
China is actively involved in bailing out the country’s military which has reportedly lost control by various estimates of about 40 percent of the country mainly in the periphery.
While the Tatmadaw [Myanmar military] continues to hold control in the main Irrawaddy Valley, China is concerned over security of large number of infrastructures under the China Myanmar Economic Corridor [CMEC] such as the oil and gas pipeline from Rakhine to Yunnan.
To provide legal authority for China to deploy ‘boots on the ground,’ though civilian or former soldiers, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing as the Chairman State Administration Council Republic of Myanmar promulgated the Private Security Service Law (State Administration Council Law 4/2025) on February 18, 2025.
The Private Security Service Law has 13 chapters and allows setting up of private security companies both local as well as foreign. The Law mandates that licensed foreign companies must employ at least 75% Myanmar nationals.
A Central Supervisory Committee for Private Security Services, chaired by the Union Minister for Home Affairs, with the Police Chief as Vice-Chairman will be responsible for policy formulation and supervision of implementation of the Law.
In as much as foreign companies are concerned, Chapter V specifies that foreign companies have the right to register under the Myanmar Companies Law.
Amongst other stipulations the foreign company will have to deposit an equivalent amount of 100 million kyats in foreign currency as a fixed deposit and stating the location where its office is based.
Foreign employees in private security roles must also meet labour ministry criteria, provide clearance certificates from their home countries, and not be members of any armed forces
There is a belief that the Private Security Service Law is designed to specifically facilitate China setting up private security companies in Myanmar which has been a demand by the Chinese for the past one year at least given threat posed to Chinese infrastructure projects and nationals operating in Myanmar passing through a phase of intense civil war.
Ironically Myanmar’s 2008 constitution drafted by the military rules out foreign forces operating in the country. The Private Security Service Law allows establishment of operations by foreign companies.
Despite some of the stipulations such as 75 percent personnel being Myanmar nationals, lack of effective implementation in a war torn country means that there will be no checks on the Chinese companies following this norm.
There are concerns as well as it is believed , if a crime is committed in places where these security services are being provided, security companies have the authority to apprehend perpetrators and hand them over to the nearest police station. This means protests outside the Chinese Embassy, vandalism at Chinese factories, or activities disturbing Chinese projects could also fall within this purview.
While security personnel must not be members of any foreign armed forces there is no embargo as such on former military personnel joining such companies.
In 2010, China’s Ministry of Commerce has formed regulations security firms operating abroad. These are required to set up overseas security management systems and mechanisms conforming to the country’s laws. China and Myanmar have thus been under discussion for formation of such joint security companies which have earlier operated in countries as Iraq, Sudan and other African countries.
As per the Financial Express, China has enlisted three private security companies—Dewey Security Frontier Service Group, China Overseas Security Group, and Huaxin Zhongshan Security Service for security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan. The companies are linked to retired officers of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The deployment comes after Pakistan was reluctant to allow PLA personnel directly deployed in the country fearing backlash by the United States apart from sovereignty concerns. Possibly a similar but more indigenised model may be underway in Myanmar.
Just as Afghanistan, Myanmar has also been a graveyard of empires primarily due to harsh conditions of fighting in the country. The British as well as the Japanese have experienced the vagaries of loss of control in such an environment during the Second World War. Only the Indian Army then the British Indian Army proved equal to fighting in this terrain.
How Chinese PLA retirees who are likely to be the bulk of the private security guards to be deployed in Myanmar with limited combat experience will fare in Myanmar remains to be seen?
Thus under civil war conditions, will China’s attempts to politically stabilise the military regime and infuse security through private security companies succeed or will be the first “graveyard,” overseas only time will tell.
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