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By Martin Sieff
Piracy in the South China Sea has increased – 23 ships hijacked in 2014 – led to the holding of the Regional Cooperation Agreement for crushing Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia in [ ReCAAP ] for international calls for increased patrols.
“The problem is worrying: China is the main engine driving economic growth across Asia and Southeast Asia. … ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] is the region’s fastest growing and most dynamic in the world, “said Ralph Winnie, vice president of the Eurasian Business Coalition, told the Asia Pacific Defense Forum [APDF]. “Any significant disruption of maritime trade in the waters, especially in the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca , could be a very serious impact on trade and investment prospects, unless it is immediately and explicitly addressed.
“Only by expanding raising such international cooperation conducted in conquering the Somali pirates, then can end the threat and restore the security of the main trade route,” said Winnie.
The growing tension between the countries in the region, in particular regarding the conflict in the region claim the South China Sea between China and its neighbors, disrupting international maritime cooperation is needed to quell crime, IHS Jane’s 360warned.
“Coordinated patrols could be inhibited by the political sensitivity,” he said.
ReCAAP has called for action stronger cooperation to suppress the increase in piracy in the South China Sea, according to the observations, IHS Jane’s 360 . 20-nation organization is based in Singapore.
“Intergovernmental Agency recorded as many as 23 incidents related to piracy [except suctioning oil] on the ships anchored in the area [South China Sea] in 2014 – a sharp increase compared to a reported incident in 2013,” he said.
There is no piracy-related incidents were reported in the South China Sea between 2010 and 2012, Lee Yin Mui, said assistant research director ReCAAP to IHS Jane’s 360 .
This new threat of piracy has been widely known throughout Asia.
“Are piracy off the coast of Southeast Asia raises threat? The answer is yes, “wrote one analyst, Aishwarya Lakshmi in Marinelink.com 12 January.” The cruise line ships in Southeast Asia, one of the busiest trade route in the world, has been hit by a ‘new emergence of concern’ in terms of piracy, “he affirmed.
“Piracy is flourishing in the area of the waterway, the Strait of Singapore, Bangladesh, South China Sea and Vietnam , the location of the narrowing of the cruise lines that include traffic-third annual commercial maritime waters in the world which makes it the most crowded in the world, “wrote Lakshmi.
Strait of Malacca is the location of shipping traffic bottlenecks
“Modern Piracy increased in the waters of Southeast Asia, particularly in the Malacca Strait, a narrow path that stretches along 500 miles of water between the Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra, Indonesia [which] is an important road between China and India, are used as solid for commercial trade. This is a congestion point for the 50,000 ships per year that brought more than a third of world trade shipping lanes, “he wrote.
Kingpin of organized crime to steal cargo liquid fuels, and sometimes use their own tankers to carry the spoils to buyers who are prearranged, marinelink.com reported.
Thanks to effective international cooperation, the US Navy which plays an important role, scourge of Somali piracy has been successfully suppressed. As a result, “Piracy on the high seas sank [in 2014] to a low level throughout the world for eight years,the Straits Times in Singapore recorded on January 14 last. However, increasing the number of successful hijackings, because there is a rise in the number of attacks in waters off Southeast Asia.
The International Maritime Bureau [IMB] recorded 245 pirate attacks occur globally in 2014, down from 264 in the previous year, and nearly half of the 445 reported in 2010 when piracy off the Somali coast smoldering. Global piracy incidents has fallen since then, because of the multi-national naval patrol off the coast of East Africa, as well as increased security on board, according to the Straits Times.
IMB said, only happened 11 attacks in 2014 by Somali pirates and all thwarted.
Center of piracy in Southeast Asia
“However, the sea off the coast of Southeast Asia, particularly in the waters of Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia is gradually emerging as a new piracy hub, with an increase in attacks on small tankers,” he said.
“The attacks in Southeast Asia is the largest number of reported incidents globally.This region experienced 141 incidents of piracy – mostly occurred in Indonesian waters – in 2014. All of these include piracy, attack on the ship and attack attempts have been canceled. This compared with 128 events in the region in 2013, “said the Straits Times .
Strait of Malacca between Malaysia and Sumatra full of pirates, according to the headlines of The Jakarta Post January 2. The newspaper reported that the determination was delivered by the new Indonesian Defence Minister, Ryamizard Ryacudu that he will meet with defense ministers of Singapore and Malaysia to discuss the security situation.
“Strait of Malacca is a maritime area that limits the four countries; Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. This strait connects three major sea: the South China Sea in the north, the Indian Ocean on the south, and the Pacific Ocean in the east, “according to the Straits Times .
Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand continue to conduct joint patrols in the sea and air in the area of Malacca, he said.
“The most common crime is robbery ship. The perpetrators attacked a small fast boats or fishing boats, and rob them in place, “said a spokesman for the Navy, Admiral Manahan Simorangkir told The Jakarta Post.
Via: http://apdforum.com
