| dc.description.abstract | The role of private security companies
(PSC) has become ever more significant in the 21st
century as the world faces increasingly complex
threats which require holistic and
multidimensional solutions. Non-traditional
security threats such as natural disasters and
pandemics which could imperil the very survival
of humanity have become a focal point in
contemporary security studies and analysis.
Many international organisations and nation
states have deployed private military companies
to provide a wide range of security services in
fulfilling and achieving much broader strategic
objectives. Private security companies are
certainly not a substitute for a military and
should not be considered as one. However,
private security companies play a fundamental
role in reinforcing the national effort during
times of natural disasters, pandemics and
national crisis situations. In the wake of the
recent COVID- 19 pandemic which has plagued
the world, the importance of private security
companies as an effective force in preventing the
spread of the virus and providing assistance
during national crisis situations has been
recognised through many success stories which
have transpired from across the globe. This paper
will explore how PSCs have become an important
part of the civil-military relations and homeland
security paradigms. This paper argues that PSCs
in Sri Lanka have a fundamental role to play in
order to meet the demands of a new strategic
environment and new sources of non- traditional
security threats. | en_US |
