The threat of piracy in SE Asia

The threat of piracy in SE Asia

By Santo Darmosumarto

Fifteen Indonesian pirates were reportedly arrested on
Saturday off the coast of India. This article looks at piracy, a
problem which Southeast Asian nations have been battling for
years.

JAKARTA (JP): In many countries, both the public and
governments have failed to address the problem of piracy by
either treating it as a rarely occurring criminal activity or a
thing of the past. However, piracy continues to be a serious
concern around the world. This is particularly true in Southeast
Asia, especially in the heavily traveled waters of the Indonesian
archipelago. These sea lanes are important to the region's
economic survival; thus, continued disregard of the growing
problem could lead to severe repercussions in the near future.

Throughout history, piracy has prospered when conditions
allowed and the potential for profit was significant. Such
conditions include a large amount of mercantile traffic; states'
limited ability to counter piracy; a lack of coordinated
countermeasures within and among states; onshore support in the
form of "fencing" stolen goods and "laundering" cash;
collaboration from corrupt local officials; a maritime geography
that is abundant in bays, inlets, narrow channels and shallow
water; and a proliferation of small arms. Based on this,
conditions in Southeast Asia seem ideal for piracy to thrive.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) claims that Southeast
Asian waters have accounted for more than half of all reported
incidents of piracy in the world. Most of these occurred in or
near Indonesia, with hot spots including the straits of Malacca,
Makassar and Singapore. In its most recent report, the IMB
recorded 66 incidents of piracy in Indonesia and 35 in the rest
of the region in 1999 (IMB Report, Oct. 15). This is the largest
number of recorded incidents of piracy since the IMB first
conducted its annual survey in 1991.

Analysts largely attribute the rise in piracy to the regional
economic slump. Piracy -- like most criminal acts -- provides an
alternative source of income for those affected by the region's
record unemployment levels. The economic downturn has also caused
drastic cuts in military spending, as exemplified by Indonesia
(International Herald Tribune, Aug. 17). This has affected not
only the Navy's purchase of much-needed equipment, but also its
ability to effectively conduct and sustain patrols.

The IMB's statistics are even more disconcerting when
considering that the actual number of incidents could be at least
twice as high. Ship owners often do not report incidents for fear
of deterring cargo owners from using their vessels. Some contend
that the IMB's negative depiction of shipping security has given
the region a "bad name". There is a fear that this could cause a
rise in insurance rates, which in turn would raise operation
costs.

Also, the inefficiency of local officials often puts cargo
shipments behind schedule and prevents swift action against
pirates, with investigations becoming tangled in webs of
bureaucracy and corruption.

Most governments do not consider piracy to be an explicit
threat, explaining the lack of attention given to the issue.
Nonetheless, over a long period of time continued high levels of
piracy could pose a problem to a state's capacity to maintain
peace and stability, as well as enhance the living conditions of
its residents.

With its increasingly intricate underground network --
involving corrupt officials and other people onshore -- piracy
can no longer be treated simply as random, small-scale sea
muggings.

In the past, ship crews were simply afraid of being robbed by
pirates, but now their lives are also under serious threat. In
1998, all but one of the 67 cases of murder at sea occurred in
Southeast Asia (International Herald Tribune, Aug. 17). This
year, 46 seamen have been taken hostage, threatened or assaulted
during incidents of piracy (IMB Report, Oct. 15). Frequently,
pirates take over merchant ships and set the crew adrift on
rafts. If this continues, more seamen are bound to be injured or
lose their lives in attacks.

Southeast Asian waters not only provide a lifeline for the
region's economies, but also are important trade channels for
Europe, the Middle East, Northeast Asia and the Americas. The
increasing, and increasingly violent, number of incidents of
piracy hampers the movement of ships and could raise the cost of
conducting trade -- in the form of higher insurance costs and
extra expenses for rerouting ships, for example. Even though such
negative effects may not be apparent now, their long-term impact
is reason enough to initiate preventative countermeasures.

In a worse-case scenario, increased levels of piracy could
also cause environmental disasters. During attacks, pirates often
tie up the crew, leaving large vessels to drift aimlessly in
waters teeming with traffic. Because of the high-volume of
traffic and the region's geographic features, ship movement
requires careful navigation. A major oil spill could occur if a
collision occurred between the unnavigated ship and an oil tanker
or offshore oil rig. This would cause stress to the region's
already depleted fish stock, as well as limit commercial shipping
in the world's busiest waterways.

As a first step toward addressing the problem of piracy, there
needs to be greater recognition of the problem itself. With
increasing awareness and greater understanding of the extent to
which pirates threaten security, the issue would receive greater
attention in national and regional forums. Member states of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations recently pledged to
increase cooperation in battling piracy and agreed to set up the
Center for Combating Transnational Crime to help alleviate the
problem. However, the success of these efforts will depend on
each member country's commitment.

Greater cooperation can also be pursued in at least three
other ways: solving issues related to jurisdiction, joint naval
patrols and onshore policing. An agreement on "hot pursuits" will
allow a naval vessel to pursue a pirate ship into another state's
waters. Presently, only Singapore and Indonesia have developed
mechanisms allowing mutual hot pursuits; this is far from
sufficient considering the rapid growth of piracy in the region.
Because of the cross-border nature of piracy, it is crucial that
other states attempt to forge similar bilateral or multilateral
agreements.

Governments need to step up joint patrols because they enhance
surveillance and promote camaraderie among the region's navies.
It also allows for stronger navies (or coast guards) to come to
the aid of weaker partners. As well, success in joint patrols
allows for greater cooperation in other aspects of piracy
countermeasures. Although such operations do not guarantee that
more pirates will be caught in the act -- considering the
vastness of regional waters -- they certainly create an effective
deterrent.

Moreover, although combating pirates at sea may seem like the
most direct solution to the problem, overall success would remain
limited if the onshore elements of piracy were allowed to thrive.

Enhanced onshore policing will attack the root of the problem
by restricting the activities of those fencing stolen goods,
laundering money and sheltering pirates. Interstate cooperation
is crucial because pirates who carry out their activities in one
country often are based in neighboring countries.

In Indonesia's case, the new government's effort to focus on
developing the country's maritime potential could result in
greater attention on solving the problem of piracy. Moreover, the
appointment of a naval officer as Indonesian Military chief
raises the possibility that the Navy will undergo its overdue
modernization program. In addition to providing the means to
combat piracy unilaterally, this would enhance Indonesia's
credibility in the regional effort to suppress piracy.

The solution to the piracy problem requires political
commitment from national governments as well as increased
regional cooperation. Such a task is challenging considering the
existing distrust and animosity among some countries in the
region. At times, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have
collaborated to fight piracy in the Strait of Malacca; however,
they have faced difficulties in making such programs long-term
efforts. History shows that firm, cooperative and long-term
policies have succeeded in curbing piracy. Yet, history also
shows that piracy reemerges once the countermeasures lag.

The writer conducted research on piracy while a graduate
student at the University of Victoria in Canada.

Window 1: Piracy -- like most criminal acts -- provides an alternative
source of income for those affected by the region's record
unemployment levels.

Window 2: The solution to the piracy problem requires political
commitment from national governments as well as increased
regional cooperation.