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MCRB Report on Private Security Companies in Myanmar
Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) has published a report on ‘Private Security Companies in Myanmar: A Baseline Study, Human Rights Risk Assessment and Recommendations’.
This is the first published assessment of Private Security Companies (PSCs) in Myanmar. It was undertaken at the request of In-Country Working Group of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR). Additional support was provided by the Voluntary Principles Association. A Chinese translation has been provided by Kunming South Asia & Southeast Asia International Logistics Research Institute (SSILR).
The report provides a summary of the private security value chain and ecosystem including the role played by regulation, and by civil society stakeholders. The Human Rights Risk Assessment (HRRA) is based on interviews conducted primarily in the second half of 2020. Field visits were not possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been updated to reflect changes in the security and human rights operating environment for companies since the military took power in Myanmar on 1 February 2021.
This report was originally intended to serve as a generic HRRA to inform Private Security Companies about the human rights risks in various contexts in Myanmar. The human rights risks assessed are those which companies seeking membership and certification applications under the International Code of Conduct Association (ICoCA) are required to complete on issues such as use of force; detention; apprehending persons; identification and registration; weapons; personnel suitability; grievance mechanisms; torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; sexual exploitation and gender-based violence; trafficking; prohibition of slavery and forced labour; child labour and discrimination.
Additionally, the assessment covers other risks important in the Myanmar context and raised by stakeholders, including militarization of investment projects in contested areas; the risk of deputation of PSCs; labour rights; and relations with communities. Data protection and privacy risks connected to PSCs are also assessed; the assessment contains the first analysis of regulation and responsible business practice concerning use by companies in Myanmar of closed-circuit TV (CCTV).
The report contains recommendations on avoiding and mitigating these human rights risks. While primarily targeted at specialist PSCs, the risks identified are also relevant for companies that manage their security in-house – such as banks, shopping malls – or client organisations that contract PSCs to do so, which includes companies, UN and diplomatic missions. The findings and recommendations will contribute to MCRB’s ongoing dialogue with companies, the Private Security Services Association and other interested stakeholders about heightened human rights due diligence in Myanmar.
