The move follows China’s proposal to establish a joint China, Myanmar private security venture
Myanmar’s military junta has formally established a nationwide network of supervisory bodies to regulate private security services, including in sensitive areas such as Rakhine State, where Chinese security personnel are currently present.
According to announcements published in the Myanmar Gazette on 20 and 27 June, the Central Supervisory Committee and corresponding state- and regional-level bodies were officially created on 23 May. These committees are responsible for overseeing the licensing and regulation of private security firms, as well as any businesses that employ private security personnel.
Each committee is chaired by the junta-appointed Minister of Security and Border Affairs in the respective region or state, and comprises 14 members. These include representatives from Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications, the General Administration Department, the State Transport Planning Department, the Road Transport Administration Department, the local military command, and the state police force.
The move follows China’s proposal to establish a joint China–Myanmar private security venture. In response, the junta enacted the Private Security Services Law on 18 February 2025. The legislation permits foreign nationals to be armed and to operate within Myanmar’s private security sector. Implementation of the law is ongoing.
On 19 June, during a Central Supervisory Committee meeting in Naypyidaw, the committee’s chair, Lt-General Tun Tun Naung, announced that the official directive for private security service licence applications had been issued the previous day. Under the new framework, companies—both domestic and foreign—must apply for operational licences through the appropriate supervisory committees at the Union Territory, regional or state level. This opens the door for foreign firms, including Chinese companies, to formally enter Myanmar’s private security market.
The Central Supervisory Committee was initially formed in March following the passage of the new law, with regional and state-level committees established nearly two months later.
