• Modern Day Piracy in Indonesia and Somalia

    Introduction

    What is piracy? In legal terms, piracy is when a person or group of persons board any sort of vessel with an intent to commit theft or any other crime, and with an intent or capability to use force in furtherance of that act . Simplified, piracy is the act of going onto a plane, train, bus, subway, or a ship to commit a crime using lethal or non-lethal force. Pirates can still be encountered nowadays . The first type of pirate is the standard low life criminal. This one finds it more efficient to just cut off a finger then take the ring. The second pirate is the organized crime pirate. These kinds of pirates are found in most of Asia and for the most part are located in China. The last type of pirate is the semi-official military pirate, this pirate is armed with such weapons as machine guns and grenade launchers.

    The Malacca Strait

    Piracy is a mobile crime. New hot spots to hunt down merchant vessels, cruise boats, and other profitable vessels pop-up all the time while other locations return to relative peace. The most dangerous area is the Strait of Malacca. The Strait runs between Malaysia and an Indonesian island. This is the main ocean highway from Asia to Europe. These vessels transport cargo such as timber, copper, and food. These items become untraceable once sold in a port or to a village or government. Therefore, an approximated 50,000 ships use this channel every year and about 2000 of them will encounter pirates. Only about 250 of these ships will be able to or willing to report the incident.

    Anti-Piracy

    What is being done to stop piracy? First, the chances of getting help to the stricken vessel in time is minimal. So far, the course of action has made no contribution to the solution. The main Piracy Reporting Center is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is operated by the International Maritime Board (IMB) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

    The best means to react to modern day piracy on the seas is to follow a few basic rules. Don’t anchor in unsafe places. Maintain a careful watch when underway and at anchor. To report any incidents immediately, calling out “Mayday” is perfectly acceptable. Batten down and secure the vessel at all time. Maintain full speed when passing through unsafe areas that are unsafe and keep safety precautions when in said areas. Charged fire hoses are a must to repel boarders. If pirates should get on board, be calm and give them whatever they request. Material items can be replaced while your limbs or life are not.

    Modern Day Piracy

    Two years ago, a Panamanian freighter named M/V Hye Mieko was fired upon and stopped in international waters before reaching its Cambodian destination by a Chinese Customs Cutter. The merchant vessel was in honest commerce and well documented. The owner, William Tay, later spotted his 1,606 ton ship from a small plane as the vessel and its $2 million cargo of cigarettes was forced to sail more than 993 miles through international waters to Shanwei in South China. The Chinese authorities denied any knowledge of the customs cutter and it was assumed to have been manned by pirates. On arrival in China, the ship was impounded, the cargo sold, and Captain Tay was charged with intending to smuggle cigarettes in China. In an incredible irony a year later, the sister ship, M/V Hye Prosperity, lost another $2 million of cargo under the same circumstances.

    In another instance, the master of a vessel named the M/V Bonsella was attacked by 26 Somali pirates off the north-eastern tip of Somalia last year. The master told them that they didn’t have any money, but the general of the Somali coastguard cocked his pistol and pointed it at the master’s head saying “Captain, no ship travels without money. Do you really want to lose your life just as I am about to set your ship free?”

    The high jacking of the M/V Bonsella lasted five days and was used in several unsuccessful attempts to board other vessels in the area. The Bonsella was too slow for pirate work.

    Conclusion

    In conclusion, piracy has been with us since the times of old and is still in use today. There seems to be no solution in sight at this time, but because knowledge is power, perhaps one day we can rid the high seas of these Hollywood-glamoured rum-loving criminals.