Piracy on Asian waters a menace<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (AFP): Shipping experts yesterday warned against any
\nlet up in the fight against piracy in Asian waters as a cargo
\nvessel came under attack in the seas off Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Six marauders armed with long knives overwhelmed the crew of
\nthe vessel before fleeing in a small craft with US$12,000 in cash
\nand jewelry, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said.<\/p>\n
An IMB official declined to identify the general cargo vessel
\nbut said the attack took place in the Selat Gelasa, also known as
\nthe Gaspar Strait, north of Java. The ship was on its way to
\nSingapore from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
"This case reported to us today exemplifies the need for
\ncontinuous guard against piracy in this region," the spokesman
\nfor the IMB's Kuala Lumpur-based regional piracy center told AFP.<\/p>\n
The Asian Shipowners Forum, an umbrella group for owners of
\nvessels in the region, advised all ship masters to take
\nappropriate precautionary measures in pirate-prone areas.<\/p>\n
The IMB spokesman said that Asian nations should "not take
\nthings easy," even though the number of pirate attacks,
\nparticularly in the Strait of Malacca straddling Malaysia,
\nSingapore and Indonesia, had decreased.<\/p>\n
The narrow and congested strait was a hotbed for piracy two
\nyears ago until enforcement agencies pooled efforts to stem the
\nmenace, officials said.<\/p>\n
Eighty pirate attacks were reported to the IMB regional piracy
\ncenter so far this year compared to 103 cases for the whole of
\nlast year, the spokesman said.<\/p>\n
"Eighty attacks are still a significant figure, especially
\nwhen quite a number of these attacks were staged by armed
\npirates. Pirates are still a potential danger to ships and the
\nsafety of crews in this region," the spokesman said.<\/p>\n
The Asian Shipowners Forum's committee for safe navigation
\nsaid after its inaugural meeting here late Monday that ship
\nmasters should also report piracy attacks to their respective
\nnational shipowners associations for follow-up action.<\/p>\n
"The meeting deplores all acts of piracy and armed
\nintervention on merchant ships plying throughout the world," the
\ncommittee, representing shipowners from 10 Asian countries and
\nHong Kong, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The committee was set up by the forum to monitor and help
\nensure the security and safety of ships worldwide, particularly
\nthose plying the Asia Pacific routes.<\/p>\n
The committee is currently chaired by the Federation of ASEAN
\nShipowners' Associations (FASA) whose members are drawn from
\nBrunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and
\nThailand.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/piracy-on-asian-waters-a-menace-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}