Piracy down in Malacca Strait thanks to Indonesia patrols: IMB<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
Indonesia's efforts to boost naval and air patrols in the
\nnotorious Malacca Strait helped suppress piracy there this year,
\nbut any let-up will see the attacks quickly resume, a top
\nofficial has warned.<\/p>\n
Pottengal Mukundan, London-based director of the International
\nMaritime Bureau (IMB), said there was a dramatic reduction in
\nattacks on ships in the strategic waterway this year.<\/p>\n
\"We believe (the reduction in the second half of 2005) is
\nattributed to an increase in patrols by Indonesia on its side of
\nthe strait,\" he said in an interview with AFP in Kuala Lumpur.<\/p>\n
Mukundan said Indonesia launched large-scale sea and air
\npatrols in July to enforce maritime security in the Malacca
\nStrait in an operation codenamed Gurita 2005.<\/p>\n
As a result, there was a sharp drop in attacks to 10 in the
\nfirst nine months of 2005 from 25 in the same period in 2004, in
\nthe narrow strait which is bordered by Indonesia, Malaysia and
\nSingapore.<\/p>\n
The figures for the first few months of 2005 were also
\naffected by last year's Dec. 26 Indian Ocean tsunami, which
\ndevastated parts of Indonesia and also curtailed pirates'
\nactivities.<\/p>\n
Mukundan praised Indonesia for its efforts to police the
\nwaterway which is used by some 50,000 ships a year carrying one
\nthird of world trade, saying there was a direct link between law
\nenforcement and the rate of attacks.<\/p>\n
\"It's always the case that when it goes off the agenda and
\npeople take their eye off this particular ball, the problem re-
\nemerges,\" he said. \"We hope the level of patrols will remain so
\nthat the number of attacks will remain low. Otherwise, they will
\nrise again.\"<\/p>\n
Mukundan also warned that Indonesian ports continued to be
\npirates' playgrounds.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesian ports still have a very large number of attacks in
\nproportion to world attacks. That continues to be a problem. But
\nin the Malacca Strait it has come down,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Pirate attacks worldwide dropped 18 percent in the first nine
\nmonths of this year to 205 but Indonesian waters remained the
\nmost dangerous and accounted for nearly one third of the total.<\/p>\n
Mukundan said that if attacks rise substantially in the
\nMalacca Strait, underwriters may declare it a high-risk area.<\/p>\n
\"But I would like to stress that we are not anywhere near that
\nin the Malacca Strait,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He also said the IMB disagreed with an international insurance
\nbody which has declared the strait to be dangerous.<\/p>\n
\"We don't feel that is justified. At this time when the level
\nof attacks are coming down we don't see war justifications to
\nincrease their rates. It may be appropriate when attacks were
\nhigh but it is not anymore,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Lloyd's Market Association's Joint War Committee in July
\nadded the strait to a list of 20 areas worldwide -- including
\nIraq, Lebanon and Nigeria -- that it said pose a security threat
\nto shipping. The LMA is an insurance body that advises members of
\nLloyd's of London.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/piracy-down-in-malacca-strait-thanks-to-indonesia-patrols-imb-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}