Maritime official warns of upsurge in pirate attacks

Maritime official warns of upsurge in pirate attacks

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuter): Maritime officials have warned of an upsurge in pirate attacks in a strait off Indonesia, with nine ships raided in the space of six weeks.

A spokesman for the International Maritime Bureau's Asian regional office said late on Tuesday there were 82 reported cases of piracy worldwide so far this year against 103 last year.

But, he said, there had been a resurgence of pirate activity in Indonesia's Gaspar Straits near Sumatra island in the last quarter of 1994.

And, he added, 95 percent of world piracy cases were in Asia.

The International Maritime Bureau, a UN-mandated organization funded by shipowners and other members, issued a statement on Monday warning of a recent increase in attacks.

It said there had been nine attacks between Oct. 25 and Dec. 6 in the Gaspar Straits, largely on containers and bulk tankers.

"These attacks have a similar hallmark to the attacks that occurred in the waters in 1991/92, with the ships' crews being tied up, ships left without navigation and money and crews' effects stolen," the statement said.

The spokesman described the Gaspar Straits as a haven for piracy because it was dotted with islands and very narrow.

"The ships have also to navigate very slowly because it is an extremely busy waterway. A vessel's greatest defense is speed and that is denied them in the Gaspar Straits."

The pirates were typically fishermen or local seafarers. In the Gaspar Straits they were likely to be Indonesian nationals. They steal whatever they can -- including electrical equipment, provisions and personal belongings of the sailors.

The spokesman said the focus of pirate attacks had shifted from the once-notorious Malacca Straits to the Gaspar Straits and to an area bounded by China's Hainan island, Luzon in the Philippines and Hong Kong and known as the HLH triangle.

"Till June this year there were 12 cases of piracy in the HLH region," he said.

Some victims have alleged official Chinese involvement in the attacks. China denies its official agencies attack ships along its coast, saying any stop-and-search operations are connected with legitimate anti-smuggling operations.

It has ordered stern punishment for those who steal army equipment and uniforms to commit crimes, including piracy.

The spokesman said the bureau discouraged shipowners from arming their crews. It asked them to keep crews alert and on 24- hour watch while passing through pirate-infested areas.

A crackdown by Malaysia and Indonesia helped reduce the rate of piracy in the Malacca Straits, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

The straits were free of piracy last year after recording 200 cases in 1991 and seven in 1992. In the first six months of this year, the area recorded five pirate attacks.