Written by Michael Thervil
Photographer unknown
Because of the situation going on in between Myanmar’s Junta failing to stop the rebels from acquiring territory in and around the Chinese border, China has been forced to take decisive action in the region in terms of intervention. This intervention by the Chinese is not isolated to simply aiding the military junta in containing the rebels from being able to create social havoc and acquiring land within Myanmar, but China's intervention is also meant to protect Chinese interest within Myanmar. This is significant because the rebel groups have taken over a nickel processing plant and a cement factory that was owned by China. This is not to mention that a Chinese consultant was damaged during a bombing last month in Mandalay.
China’s answer to securing its interest in Myanmar is centered around the deployment of Chinese mercenaries. These mercenaries will/are consisting of former soldiers and policemen who have been selectively hand-picked because of their demonstrated skill sets for this application. One of the main priorities of the mercenaries that are being deployed to Myanmar is to protect and secure Chinese infrastructure and affiliated plants, ports, mines, factories, and their Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Again, the rebels. This does include the movements of Chinese personnel and their assets as well.
Will this show of force by the Chinese be enough to ward off the rebels, especially since they have gained power and strength in their numbers? Currently, at this time there is no telling. It's been also reported that there are roughly 5 privatized Chinese security groups that are operating in Myanmar at the moment. We expect more to follow in the near future. Besides the legitimate pretext of China protecting their interest, the reason as to why China can deploy mercenaries to Myanmar is because of the changes and expansions in 2009 that affects the way private Chinese security firms operate in and outside of China.
Chinese mercenaries will and currently are providing force protection services for the Myanmar-China economic corridor, railway lines, and their oil and gas pipelines. China's proactive force protection stance places China on the forefront of both securing their assets and augmenting Myanmar military junta from the likes of the Arakan army which was founded in 2009 and serves as the militaristic part of the united league of nations, the Ta’ang national liberation army (2019), and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army which was formed in 1989.
With over 20 Chinese mercenary groups operating in 40 countries to protect China's interest, it's safe to predict that those numbers will increase, especially in places like Africa in the future, and it only makes sense. Currently, here are five major Chinese mercenary groups and/companies that operating heavily in Myanmar and other locations around the world and those companies are as follows:
China Overseas Security Group
Hua Xin China Security,
Frontier Services Group
Guan An Security Technology
De Wei Security Group Ltd
Taking a play out of both the American and Russian playbook, China see’s that value in private military contracting because it doesn’t place an official army on the grounds and forefront. Thus, avoiding allegation of china using foreign military intervention strategies and escalating tensions in a region that is already suffering from turmoil. In deploying mercenaries, China, like all other major world powers, have found and implemented a way to protect their assets while fundamentally decreasing their liabilities as a country. Remember china is the business of business – not war, so by china deploying mercenaries to protect its business interest – its simply business as usual.
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