MALACCA STRAIT COUNTRIES SHOULD CONSIDER “INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE” ON PIRACY

[proud_ionian]

THE newly re-elected president of the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), SS Teo, said during his report to the body’s AGM on Friday that piracy was still a major concern for the maritime community. The head of regional container shipping line PIL said that the SSA had raised the politically sensitive issue of calling for help from outside the region if the littoral states cannot eliminate the problem

He said: “Although the number of pirate attacks around the world and in South East Asia had decreased in 2004, the intensity of pirate attacks had increased, with a larger number of seamen killed. In the South East Asian region, particularly in the Malacca and Singapore Straits, piracy continues to be a problem.”

He noted: “The three littoral states of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore signed a landmark agreement on 20 July 2004 to conduct co-ordinated naval patrol in their efforts to combat piracy in the Straits, but this had minimal impact. Small tankers, slow moving tugs and barges and even large bulk carriers continued to be attacked. In some cases, ship officers and crews were kidnapped and shipowners held to hefty ransom to secure their release. Such incidents have prompted the SSA, together with its counterparts in the Federation of ASEAN Shipowners’ Associations (FASA) and the Asian Shipowners Forum (ASF) urging the ASEAN governments to exert stronger political will and to work more effectively to eradicate the piracy problem in the South East Asian region. We also urged the littoral states to consider international assistance if they cannot find any effective measures.”