Download - PIRACY IN THE MALACCA & SINGAPORE STRAITS
PIRACY IN THE MALACCA & SINGAPORE STRAITS
Catherine Zara Raymond
(Maritime Security Programme,
IDSS Singapore)
Piracy or Armed Robbery?
• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea states that piracy is an act that takes place on the high seas, outside the jurisdiction of any state.
• BUT most pirate attacks occur within the twelve
mile limit of a states territorial waters and not on the high seas.
• Therefore such incidences are not legally considered piracy; they are in fact armed robbery against ships.
• Indonesia recorded the highest number of pirate attacks in the world in 2005.
• The Malacca Straits ranked sixth in 2005,
as opposed to second in 2004.
Indonesia
Malacca Straits
Singapore Straits
Malaysia
South China
Bangladesh
India
Nigeria
Gulf of Aden/RedSea
Somalia
A Piracy Hotspot
Modus Operandi
• Harbour or anchorage attacks: Most common in Indonesian ports & waters. More opportunistic, normally less violent. Value of stolen goods is low.
• Sea-robbery: Pirates can board using grappling hooks, often while ship is underway. Approx. value of the stolen goods = US$10,000 to US$20,000. Ship is seized for between 30 minutes and 2 hours.
Hijacking:
• Long-term seizure or hijacking of vessel, perhaps for several days, while the cargo is unloaded at ports or transferred to another vessel.
OR• Permanent seizure of a vessel, wherein the
vessel is turned into a “phantom ship”. Ship repainted and crew dumped or killed. The ship then sails into a new port with a false name and forged documentation.
Kidnap-for-ransom:
• First carried out by pirate groups in 2001.
• Involves armed takeover of the vessel, followed by the abduction of two or three senior crew members.
• The result: release of the kidnapped crew members following the payment of a ransom by the crew’s employers.
• Ransoms demanded = US$100,000 to US$200,000.
• Following negotiations the amount paid is usually substantially lower e.g. US$10,000 - US$20,000.
The Pirates
• Small-scale criminals
• Criminal syndicates
• Terrorist groups
EquipmentWeapons Present in Attacks
(Only most lethal recorded in each case)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Year
Atta
cks
Knives
Guns
Rocket Launchers/Granades/ Machine Guns
Analysis of of Attacks
• Relatively few attacks on larger vessels and none at all on “through traffic” unless ships stop for some reason
• Most attack are on smaller vessels – fishing boats, tugs and product tankers
Total Actual Attacks by Vessel Type 2000-2005
05
101520253035
<1
00
00
>1
00
00
<2
00
00
>2
00
00
<2
00
00
>2
00
00
<5
00
0
>5
00
0
<5
00
0
>5
00
0
<5
00
0
>5
00
0
<2
00
00
>2
00
00
Container Bulk Carrrier GeneralTanker
GeneralCargo
ChemicalTanker
LPG ProductTanker
Vessel Type
Att
ac
ks
Typical Vessels attacked
• 640 GRT product tanker Cherry 201 attacked off Belawan in Feb 2004 – crew members kidnapped for ransom and 4 murdered
•Small Japanese tug Idaten boarded by pirates in March 2005. 3 crew members taken hostage but later released
The Response
• Trilateral Coordinated Patrols
• Eyes in the Sky
• Regional Cooperation Agreement on Anti-Piracy (ReCAAP)
The Way Ahead
A comprehensive and integrated approach must be adopted that:
• Brings together institutional arrangements and operational measures for safety, security and marine environmental protection.
• Reflects the interests of all stakeholders: user States, littoral States, and ship owners.
• Builds on the 2005 Batam Joint Statement and Jakarta Statement