Naypyidaw, Mar 1: A top expert on security dynamics in Southeast Asia, especially in and around Myanmar, on Saturday voiced her concerns over growing Chinese assertiveness in the region.
Miemie Winn Byrd, a security analyst from Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies (APCSS), stated that the presence of Chinese security companies in Myanmar under the military junta’s private security laws poses a major threat of turning the country into a “client state”.
Byrd told Myanmar’s leading media outlet Irrawaddy that there is a lot of risk to have these companies in the region as they are mostly staffed by former Chinese military officers. “These Chinese firms, therefore, can manipulate both political and economic spheres of Myanmar, and further, the sovereignty of the country can be compromised,” Byrd told Irrawaddy in an extensive interview.
Accusing the current regime of trading with Chinese companies for a short-term gain, Byrd mentioned that Myanmar’s geographical location offers China an alternative to their Malacca dilemma.
“80 per cent of China’s oil imports pass through the Malacca Strait and that makes them vulnerable in times of war. So, they are trying to find an alternative way to bypass the Malacca Strait and Myanmar is the only solution to their problem. Increasing footprints in Myanmar would in turn help them to dominate the Indo-Pacific,” the analyst detailed.
Myanmar’s military junta introduced the ‘Private Security Services Law’ in February which enables Chinese private security organisations to be stationed in Myanmar. These laws enable Beijing to protect its interests in Myanmar, including the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects. The law has been specifically designed to accommodate China.
Beijing has been constantly putting pressure on the military regime to protect Chinese projects and businesses and the safety of their employees in Myanmar. China proposed forming a joint venture security company and decided to send its own security companies to Myanmar to protect its interests. The law allows Chinese security companies to officially establish their foothold across Myanmar as Chinese projects are spread in most parts of the region, reports Irrawaddy.
IANS