Indonesia warns of pirate attacks in Malacca Straits

News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News".

28 Nov 2008

Pirate attacks in the Malacca Straits could rise as the global economic meltdown unfolds, Indonesia has warned.  ''We predict that with the global crisis, there will be more pirates and illegal activities taking place in the Malacca Straits,'' Sagom Tamboen, spokesman for the Indonesian Navy, told the local press. Joint patrols out at sea are needed by Malaysia and Thailand to deal with the possible surge in piracy activities, he said. Tamboen did not explain why he thought the economic crisis would lead to an increase in piracy.
Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB)'s piracy reporting centre, said the Indonesian Navy was warning against a repeat of the situation when the region was recovering from the 1997 Asian economic crisis.
The number of piracy attacks reported to the IMB in the Malacca Straits rose from just two in 1999 to 75 in 2000.
At the time, the effects of a deep and long recession and a high unemployment rate was thought to have caused Indonesian coastal villages to resort to hijacking and robbing ships.
Choong said the IMB welcomed a strengthening of sea patrols by littoral states, and the situation is currently under control due to the Indonesian naval patrols.
However, he warned that the pirates are still around and could return to attack ships if military presence is absent.

Source: Tanker World