War on piracy fails to quell attacks

War on piracy fails to quell attacks

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Pirate attacks mounted worldwide in the
first six months of this year, buoyed by Indonesia's sinking
economy and straggling sea patrols, a monitoring group reported
Thursday.

Southeast Asia remained a pirates' paradise, contributing 85
of 165 attacks across the globe from January through June, the
International Maritime Bureau's Kuala Lumpur-based piracy watch
center said.

The worldwide total was up slightly from 161 cases recorded in
the first six months of last year, and 115 in the same period of
1999, the center reported in its quarterly survey.

"It is common knowledge that attacks originate from
Indonesia," it said. "Declining economic conditions and lack of
maritime patrolling have exacerbated the piracy threat in
Indonesia and surrounding waters."

Indonesia, the world's fourth-most populous nation,
nevertheless recorded fewer attacks in the first half of this
year -- 44 off its archipelago's 13,000 islands compared to 56 in
the same period of 2000.

Bandits picked up the slack in neighboring Malaysia, where
attacks doubled from seven in the first six months of last year
to 13 this year, despite the Malaysian navy boosting efforts to
battle piracy.

The Philippines - struggling to contain cash-rich rebels
rolling in ransom from chronic kidnappings - also grew more
afflicted, with four cases reported so far this year compared to
one in the first half of 2000.