ICC sees increase in “political” piracy attacks against ships
ICC sees increase in “political” piracy attacks against ships
Politically motivated piracy attacks against ships in Southeast Asia is on the increase, according to the International Maritime Bureau of the International Chamber of Commerce.
Issuing a warning on Tuesday, the bureau reported that gangs of heavily armed pirates using fishing and speed boats have this week been targeting small oil tankers in the Malacca Straits. It said that the recent wave of attacks follow a pattern set by Indonesian rebels from Aceh.
“In addition to the obvious threat to human life and potential environmental damage, we are very concerned about politically motivated attacks against vessels,” the bureau said.
The bureau said there was evidence to suggest Aceh rebels are responsible for the growing piracy in the area. Their principal motivation, according to the bureau, is “to fund their political cause by holding hostages for ransom.”
“Political piracy threatens to rewrite the rules of engagement,” a spokesman for the bureau said. “Authorities need to recognize the motives behind these crimes and adopt new methods of tracking and deterring them.”
The frequency of attacks has increased. In late July, there were three attempted boardings in less than a week off the Sumatra coast in the Malacca Straits. Pirates fired automatic weapons at a liquefied petroleum gas tanker, a gas tanker and an oil tanker. On each occasion, preventative measures deployed by the crew thwarted the attack.
In another recent case, the Malaysian-registered tanker “Penrider” was carrying 1,000 tons of fuel oil when it was attacked some 12 miles from Port Klang, Malaysia. The “Penrider” was en route from Singapore to Penang when a fishing boat containing 14 pirates armed with AK-47 and M-16 assault rifles intercepted the ship, the bureau reported.
The International Maritime Bureau said that, after robbing the crew and forcing them to sail into Indonesian waters, the pirates took the master, chief engineer and a crewman hostage, leaving the ship to continue its passage. After protracted ransom negotiations, the hostages were returned unharmed.
A crewman on the “Penrider” told police the pirates were clad in fatigues and claimed to be Aceh soldiers. The Malaysian police have confirmed that the modus operandi was similar to that of an Aceh group thought to be responsible for many other attacks along the Straits of Malacca.
The International Maritime Bureau of the International Chamber of Commerce operates a piracy reporting center and keeps statistics of maritime piracy attacks.