GOOD NEWS ON PIRACY

Regular readers will know of my obsession with pirates - and my frequent criticisms that Indonesia (and to a lesser degree Malaysia) have not done enough to keep the Malacca Straits secure.

That makes this report a very welcome surprise.

Nabbed: Four pirates seized after 2-day search (registration required)
By David Boey
Defence Correspondent

INDONESIAN authorities recovered a Singapore-flagged tugboat from pirates without bloodshed on Sunday, a day after its Singapore owners had reported it missing.

The recovery of the 20.2 metre-long tug, Surya Wira 1, is the first reported case since early 2004 where hijackers have been thwarted on the high seas by the Indonesians.

The tug's Singapore owner, SMC Marine Services, and the London-based International Maritime Bureau (IMB) attributed the successful operation to the massive search by two spotter planes and four warships from the Indonesian authorities.

A major concern noted by marine and defense officials is that terrorists may be planning a large scale attack on a crude, natural gas or chemical carrier in the Straits. Various reports have indicated that regional terrorist group Jemmah Islamiah (JI) has been planning such an attack for some time.

These concerns have been growing over the past two years as 'pirates' near Aceh province started to use automatic weapons and high-speed boats. Previously, it was more common for pirates to use machetes and simple low-powered craft.

Few details have been given about the identities of the captured 'pirates.' However, the report notes that the hijacked tug's hull was 'peppered' with gunfire - indicating that this was a similar operation to the ones that have caused such great concern around Aceh.

The Surya Wira 1 crew's ordeal began on Friday night when 10 pirates boarded the tug south of Batam, after peppering it with gunfire to force it to stop. The pirates then cut the towing line connecting the tug to a 70-metre barge.

Under the Megawati administration, Naval and political officials generally downplayed the risks of piracy and terrorism, and overplayed the effectiveness of the recently launched coordinated tri-nation patrols (which had no statistical impact on the level of piracy in the Straits).

To my knowledge, this is the first actual capture of pirates in Indonesian waters since the start of the patrols. While it doesn't indicate that the patrols are yielding significant results - it was a solo operation by Indonesia - I am hoping that it indicates that the new administration is serious about dealing with the threat.