Asian & Middle Eastern Studies Events

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[PAST EVENT] THE ASIAN CENTURY - AMES Colloquium Series

April 23, 2021
3:30pm - 4:30pm
Location
Zoom - please register
Access & Features
  • Registration/RSVP
Sahar Khan is an adjunct scholar in the Cato Institute’s Defense and Foreign Policy Department.
Sahar Khan is an adjunct scholar in the Cato Institute’s Defense and Foreign Policy Department.

Private military and security companies (PMSCs) have a long, complicated history in South and Southeast Asia — regions that have been relatively open to private and quasi-private security arrangements. The number of PMSCs has been increasing at an alarming rate worldwide. These companies provide a range of services that are appealing to states that are either in the midst of a post-conflict political environment or who live in tough neighborhoods. Within South and Southeast Asia, PMSCs have largely focused on maritime security, providing anti-piracy protection for merchant vessels, providing security to ports, and protecting offshore oil and gas platforms. The role of PMSCs, however, has been evolving in South Asia, with focus turning to increasing the capacity of a state’s security forces, which is the case in Afghanistan. PMSCs, however, are hard to regulate. The key question, therefore, is: how can they be regulated effectively? More importantly, do PMSCs actually provide security? This talk will focus on PMSCs in Afghanistan to answer these questions, highlighting how these companies heighten insecurity in post-conflict regions. 

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