TALK ABOUT PIRACY

A new initiative is being rolled out to protect the Malacca Straits from piracy, it was announced today:

Asia’'s new initiative to combat piracy and deter terror strikes in the crucial Malacca Straits and surrounding seas is nearly ready to start, Singapore’'s defence minister said today.

The agreement links the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, along with Bangladesh, China, Japan, India, South Korea and Sri Lanka through a central network headquartered in the city-state.

The initiative involves linking communications among navies of 16 countries.

Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said the new Regional Co-operation Agreement on Anti-Piracy in Asia, initiated by Tokyo, will be “entering into force soon.”

“A significant feature will be the setting up of an information sharing centre, which will provide more accurate reports of incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the region,” Teo said.

Anything that brings further regional attention to the situation in the Malacca Straits is welcome, although I have severe doubts that this new plan will be effective in any practical sense. It does not seem to call for the expansion of the existing coordinated patrols beyond the three navies that are currently participating.

Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia currently have coordinated patrols of the Strait, Asia's most vital shipping lane, although they have not granted each other the right to pursue suspected pirates or militants into each other's waters.

Malaysia and Indonesia have also resisted calls by Singapore and other states, notably the US, to allow participation by navies of non-littoral states. Most of Asia's crude and one-third of global trade passes through the Straits, which makes it reasonable to suggest that its protection be a regional responsibility.

As I have noted before, a terrorist strike in the Strait could massively disrupt global trade and possibly result in thousands of deaths.

Pirate attacks in Indonesian waters have not declined since the tri-nation patrols have started - illustrating that Indonesia is incapable of patrolling its own waters.

If the new initiative is just a talking shop, then I hope that much of the talk will be in attempts to pressure Indonesian and Malaysian leaders into taking a more serious view of the threat.

Otherwise, I doubt that 16 bureaucrats sharing information will be of much deterrence to pirates and potential terrorists.