Joint air patrols begin in Malacca Strait<\/p>\n
Clarence Fernandez, Reuters\/Subang Air Force Base, Malaysia<\/p>\n
The four Southeast Asian nations guarding the Malacca Strait
\nstarted joint air patrols of the vital sea lane on Tuesday when a
\nMalaysian military plane took to the air with Singaporeans on
\nboard.<\/p>\n
The Hercules C-130 took off from Subang air force base, on the
\noutskirts of the Malaysian capital, with a crew of seven
\nMalaysians and three Singaporeans -- a milestone in cooperation
\nfor two neighbors with a long history of squabbling.<\/p>\n
Regular flights over the waterway, a haunt for pirates, are
\nset to follow, with involvement from Indonesia and Thailand, the
\nother adjoining states. The planes will operate from all four
\ncountries, using radar and digital imaging to spot pirates and
\ndirect naval and coastguard vessels to intercept them.<\/p>\n
\"So much of the international community depends on the safety
\nand security of the Strait of Malacca and it is incumbent upon us
\nas littoral states to ensure the safety and security of the
\nstrait...,\" Malaysian Defense Minister Najib Razak told reporters
\nat Subang, accompanied by his Singaporean counterpart, Teo Chee
\nHean, and military officials from Indonesia and Thailand.<\/p>\n
The narrow, 805-km waterway carries a quarter of global trade
\nand nearly all oil imports for Japan and China. There are fears
\nit could become a target for a terror attack.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore launched coordinated sea
\npatrols of the strait last year, but piracy and robbery have
\nremained rampant and they are under pressure from major users
\nsuch as Japan and the United States to step up security.<\/p>\n
The three littoral states, which command most of the strait
\nand are home to its largest ports, have resisted international
\ninvolvement in policing the waterway because of sovereignty
\nconcerns but are now inviting foreign powers to provide aircraft.<\/p>\n
\"I would consider this as phase one,\" Najib said.<\/p>\n
\"Phase two will entail the involvement of the international
\ncommunity and we are hoping there will be offers ... to
\nparticipate in this 'Eyes in the Sky' program.<\/p>\n
\"Now it is incumbent on the international community to make
\noffers. We are open,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Malaysia has said the monitoring equipment on board foreign
\nplanes would be operated by crew from the littoral states, though
\nforeigners could fly the aircraft.<\/p>\n
International maritime authorities welcomed the move, saying
\nit promised efficient use of law enforcement resources.<\/p>\n
\"At the end of the day what is essential is that a high risk
\nsituation which is identified by the 'Eyes in the Sky' should be
\nfollowed up by action on the water,\" said Capt. Pottengal
\nMukundan, director of the International Maritime Bureau in
\nLondon.<\/p>\n
\"There must be resources and the will to do that. I think the
\nwill is there, but I hope also the resources will be there to
\ntake action. And then we will see a reduction in the attacks.\"<\/p>\n
Piracy in the Strait has fallen this year, Mukundan added. The
\nPiracy Reporting Center in Kuala Lumpur estimates there have been
\nnine pirate attacks so far this year.<\/p>\n
The air patrols follow a July move by insurers to designate
\nthe strait a high-risk area, after a security report that pirates
\nthere were using the weapons and tactics of Islamic militants.<\/p>\n
That step boosted transport costs and prompted strong
\ncriticism from the multi-billion-dollar maritime industry and
\nlittoral states, which said the threat was overblown.<\/p>\n
Najib hoped the patrols would prompt a change of heart.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that they will look at it favorably -- in other
\nwords, if we can ensure the security of the Strait of Malacca, we
\nhope that they will reconsider their decision.\"<\/p>",
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