As Myanmar’s military regime struggles to maintain control, it has introduced the Private Security Services Law, allowing armed Chinese security firms to operate inside the country. The move has sparked concerns about Myanmar’s sovereignty, regional stability, and Beijing’s growing influence over the junta.
In this interview with The Irrawaddy’s Ei Kay Kyaw, Burmese-American security expert and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Miemie Winn Byrd discusses the risks posed by the presence of the Chinese security firms in Myanmar, their potential impact on local communities and the wider region, and how pro-democracy forces can counter these threats.
Could you tell us about the risks and threats posed by the presence in Myanmar of Chinese security firms under the junta’s Private Security Services Law?
Before we start the interview, a disclaimer: my assessments are all my own and I don’t represent any entity or organization.
It’s a lot of risk for Myanmar, and the region as well, to have these Chinese private security companies stationed inside Myanmar. We have seen it in other contexts, other areas where China has brought in these security companies. Often they are staffed by former People Liberation Army officers.
So they took off their uniform and put on civilian dress, but they still have a lot of connections and answer to Beijing, even though they’re called “companies.” In other countries, we have seen that they became a lot more reliant on China, and then they are manipulated both economically and in politics—in internal politics as well.
You start to lose a bit of sovereignty when you bring in something like that. We have seen that in Africa, South Asia, Central Asia, and even in Southeast Asia. It is quite risky to have these Chinese boots on the ground.
Why do you think the junta introduced the law, particularly at this time?
Well, that’s also one of the indicators that the junta is losing. It is almost on the verge of collapse, and it is grasping at something.
Even in the constitution that the military junta has written, such boots on the ground from foreign security agencies are forbidden. But recently they changed the constitution to make this possible, and that tells you that the junta is on its last legs.
But the junta is also willing to trade a long-term threat for a short-term gain, just for a handful of [junta boss] Min Aug Hlaing’s buddies. Not for the people. So this problem will persist for another couple of centuries under the boots of the Chinese security apparatus.
Is it fair to say the junta is allowing Myanmar to become a slave to China?
Yes, it will dominate Myanmar. Myanmar will become a client state. The Chinese will control everything. Not only security in a small area, but expanding.
Next thing you know, they will be calling the shots on the domestic agenda. And of course, they will dominate the economy, any type of trade and economics. Everything will be done to their benefit. For example, even now, they have these extraction industries, taking all the rare earth minerals from Myanmar.
The people are left with the environmental destruction: the water is poisoned, they have landslides and destruction of forests and hills. With a Chinese company and Chinese MO, it’s never win-win: it’s win-lose, win-lose.
The larger regional implication is because Myanmar is strategically critical to China. Its geographical location offers the only strategic alternative to the Malacca dilemma. Because 80 percent of China’s oil has to go through the Malacca Strait. That makes the Chinese very vulnerable in times of war, so they’ve been trying to find an alternative to bypass Malacca.
China doesn’t have a direct border with Thailand to the west of the Malacca Strait entrance. Laos and Cambodia are on the east side, so Myanmar is the only country giving it access to the western side. Also, historically, any major power that wants to dominate Asia or the Indo-Pacific region has to have control of Myanmar. It’s that critical.
Once the Chinese have that control, they can reduce their vulnerability and act in any way they want. They will be able to dominate the Indo-Pacific in Asia.
What are the potential implications for local communities? What risks and threats do they face from the presence of Chinese security firms?
In the other areas where Chinese security companies are coming in, they treat the locals poorly, so there will be clashes with the local population and local law enforcement. The locals are always outnumbered or out-weaponed. The security companies has a lot more firepower than the local law enforcement apparatus, and with that it often brings in illegal trade.
Local law enforcement do not have enough oversight and capacity, which is one of the reasons that China uses as an excuse to bring in its own security, because the local security outfit cannot provide the security for other Chinese businesses. So the capability of local security agencies are already low, and then the Chinese bring in their own.
In some places, they start to use them as dual use for military as well as civilian purposes. We’ve seen that in Pakistan, in Africa, in Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Ecuador, Peru in South America, even in Central America, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan.
Many have experienced these problems with bringing Chinese security companies into the country.
Given the problems you have raised, do you have any suggestions for how to challenge the negative impact of the law?
Well, yes. As long as the People’s Defense Forces and the pro-democracy coalition forces control the area, they can prevent it from happening. There has been amazing success on the pro-democracy coalition side, but they do need to work faster, meaning work together more.
They need to cooperate. They need to overcome some of the remaining barriers that prevent them from even closer cooperation, more joint strategy. Joint command: if they are able to do that, then they can bring it to an end and remove Min Aung Hlaing and the military junta from Naypyitaw.
Is there anything you would like to add?
We also need to make sure that we support the independent media. The Myanmar independent media is so important because they’re the ones conducting vital investigative reporting of all these malign activities that China is doing in Myanmar, as well as of Min Aung Hlaing and his group.
I understand that because of the recent aid cuts from the US. they have lost support, so I think that the audience needs to step in because they do it very, very inexpensively, actually. If the audience can step in and subscribe to these outfits or donate to these independent media, like The Irrawaddy, Mizzima, Myanmar Now, DVB, those really independent media outfits that are doing a great job and professional reporting, it would be really helpful, so that people will always get accurate information, correct news on time, and word of China’s misinformation machine.
China is out there with the propaganda, and recently we’ve seen increased misinformation and propaganda campaigns from the junta as well. So independent media shining the light on what’s happening in Myanmar is really, really important. My call-out to the audience is to please support the independent Myanmar media.
Watch the interview here
