Instability in Indonesia 'fuels piracy attacks'

Instability in Indonesia 'fuels piracy attacks'

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): The number of attacks on shipping in the Strait of Malacca may hit a 10-year high due to political instability in Indonesia, an anti-piracy body said on Monday.

"Shipowners are worried. Japan is very concerned. At this moment it may hit a 10-year high," said Noel Choong, regional manager of the Piracy Reporting Center.

"Attack reports are still coming in," said Choong, whose center in the Malaysian capital is operated by the International Maritime Bureau.

He said 30 attacks have been reported this year in the strait between Malaysia and Indonesia's Sumatra island, as of end- September. This compares with 32 in the strait for the whole of 1991.

In 1998 there was just one attack in the strait and in 1999 there were two.

"There is an urgent need to clamp down on the (piracy) syndicates," Choong told AFP. "If both Malaysia and Indonesia step up patrols, we can drastically reduce the piracy attacks."

Choong said attacks had increased following political instability in Indonesia. According to Malaysian security authorities, he said, most attacks occur in Indonesian waters.

"If that is the case, Indonesian authorities must act," said one shipping source, adding that the pirates "seem to have some military background."

They are adept at boarding a moving ship and operating the engines, the source said.

Last month Japan called for international cooperation to fight increasing piracy, especially in the Malacca Strait and elsewhere around Indonesia.

Choong said shipowners had repeatedly been advised to maintain an anti-piracy watch and install a Shiploc, a satellite tracking device.

He said his center opposes crew carrying firearms or hiring mercenaries since this would only encourage pirates to attack in bigger and better armed groups.

"Crew members are not trained. It will only contribute to more violence," he said.

The rise in piracy attacks tarnishes the good name of Malaysia and also the shipowners, Choong said.

He expressed concern about a resurgence of a syndicate which specializes in hijacking oil following the seizure of a Malaysian-registered tanker late last month.

"Hijacking tankers is a lucrative business. It is so easy to dispose of (the cargo)," Choong said.

Had the tanker been fitted with a Shiploc, he said, authorities could have arrested the pirates while they were transferring the oil to another craft in Malaysian waters.

The MT Petchem was on its way from Malaysia's Port Dickson to Kuching on Borneo island when pirates intercepted it near the Natuna Islands in Indonesian waters.

Choong said the pirates steered the tanker back to Johor state, where the cargo transfer took place.

Defense Minister Najib Tun Razak recently promised to increase the navy's firepower to counter piracy. But he said the numerous islands off Malaysia provided safe havens for pirates.