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.