Safe strait, stable world

Safe strait, stable world

The parade of 17 warships from Indonesia, Malaysia and
Singapore in the Strait of Malacca on Tuesday was more than a
show of force to enhance the security and safety of commercial
ships sailing through the narrow waters between Sumatra and the
Malaysian peninsula. The three littoral states were also
demonstrating to the world their determination to live up to
their responsibility: To fight pirates, and more seriously, the
threat of terrorism, whether real or perceived.

The Malsindo coordinated patrol between the three countries is
particularly important to Indonesia. All eyes have been trained
on Jakarta these past few years because, according to the
International Maritime Bureau, most of the 28 pirate attacks that
occurred in the 600-kilometer stretch of water in 2003 took place
on Indonesian territory. The growing piracy problem in the strait
was largely perceived as Indonesia's failure to live up to its
responsibility to the international community.

The Strait of Malacca, which connects the Indian Ocean with
the South China Sea, is one of the world's busiest shipping
lanes. More than 50,000 ships pass through the strait annually,
carrying one-third of the global shipping trade and one-half of
the entire world's crude oil shipment.

Its importance to the global economy cannot be emphasized
strongly enough. Japan relies entirely on crude oil shipments
that pass through the Strait of Malacca. China and South Korea
are also heavily dependent on the safety of the strait to secure
their booming economy. The strait facilitates trade between East
Asia on the one hand, and the Middle East and Europe on the
other. The two closest alternative sailing routes are the Sunda
and Lombok straits, both are also controlled by Indonesia. The
next alternative, through Australian waters, would be impractical
and prohibitively costly.

Indonesia, as the country that controls these international
sea lanes, must bear chief responsibility for the safety and
security of ships that pass through its waters. Given the
challenge that Indonesia faces in dealing with the growing
security threat in the Strait of Malacca, it is appropriate that
the Navy has sought ways to improve its own performance.

The ability of the Navy to do its job ultimately depends upon
how much money the government allocates to it. Starved of funding
due to Indonesia's long-running economic crisis, the Navy's
armada today desperately needs to be upgraded. The Navy even has
to fight to secure enough funding for its operations.

The decision to coordinate with the two other littoral states
would seem a natural one to make, given the capability of the
Navy and the mounting pressure upon it. Let's not forget, the
Navy has a vast territory to cover and the Strait of Malacca is a
relatively tiny -- albeit important -- area. Whether the
operation with Singapore and Malaysia is sufficient to deter
pirates or prevent a possible terrorist attack, only time will
tell.

The threat of terrorism cannot be lightly dismissed. The
October 2002 attack on the French oil tanker Limber in Yemeni
waters, and the deadly strike on USS Cole in Aden port two years
earlier, are warnings of the possibility of a "9/11 at sea". A
terrorist attack on a slow-moving giant crude oil tanker or a
vessel carrying chemicals in the Strait of Malacca would be
absolutely devastating. If that were to occur, shipping in the
strait would be crippled and the impact felt in Japan, China,
South Korea, Europe, the Middle East and the United States.

This raises a question, regarding sharing the burden to secure
global shipping through the strait. The threat of terrorism has
certainly made the challenge of securing the strait much more
complex than simply dealing with small-time pirates that operate
from the shore.

Indonesia's Military Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, in
launching the coordinated patrol on Tuesday, said Indonesia,
Malaysia and Singapore welcome assistance and support from other
countries in helping to patrol the Strait of Malacca. The three
states would also consider the involvement of other countries.

It is time for other countries that have a stake in greater
security for ships passing through the strait to take part. The
ultimate responsibility for international ships sailing through
Indonesian waters remains in our hands, but it would be nice if
other countries -- who would benefit from a safer strait -- also
chipped in, to ease the burden of the Indonesian people.