Navy sinks ships at Malacca

Navy sinks ships at Malacca

BATAM, Riau: Several ships believed to be operated by pirates
were sunk by the Navy in the northern part of the Malacca
Straits, said a senior Navy officer on Monday.

Indonesian Military (TNI) Rear Admiral of the western fleet
Djoko Sumaryono said the Navy attacked the ships sometime in
January. How many, however, he could not say.

"We sunk several pirate ships. We don't tolerate piracy,"
Djoko said.

Piracy in Indonesia ranks among the worst in the world. Most
of the cases occur in the Malacca Straits, which links trade
between East Asia and Europe.

Around 300 vessels pass the route everyday day, according to
Djoko. But Indonesia lacked patrol ships to safeguard the route,
he said. -- JP