Piracy in the Strait of Malacca
Encyclopedia
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
in the Strait of Malacca
Strait of Malacca
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow, stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is named after the Malacca Sultanate that ruled over the archipelago between 1414 to 1511.-Extent:...
has historically been an unresolved threat to ship owners and the mariners who ply the 900 km-long (550 miles) sea lane. In recent years, coordinated patrols by Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Malaysia, and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, along with increased security on vessels have sparked a dramatic downturn in piracy, according to the International Maritime Bureau
International Maritime Bureau
The International Maritime Bureau is a specialized department of the International Chamber of Commerce.The IMB's responsibilities lie in fighting crimes related to maritime trade and transportation, particularly piracy and commercial fraud, and in protecting the crews of ocean-going vessels.It...
(IMB).
The geography in the Strait of Malacca makes the region very susceptible to piracy. It was, and still is, an important passageway between China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and was used heavily for commercial trade. As for modern times, the Strait is on the route between Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
, and the oil-exporting countries of the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
; and the busy ports of East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
. The strait is narrow, contains thousands of islets, and is an outlet for many rivers, making it an ideal location for pirates to hide and evade capture.
History
Historically, piracy in the Strait of Malacca was not only a lucrative way of life, but also an important political tool. Rulers relied on the region's pirates to maintain control. One example was the 14th-century rule of the PalembangPalembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...
prince, Parameswara
Parameswara (sultan)
Parameswara , also called Iskandar Shah or Sri Majara, was a Malay-Hindu prince from Temasek who founded the Malacca Sultanate around 1402.-Etymology:...
. It was through the loyalty of pirate crews made of the Orang Laut
Orang Laut
The Orang Laut, or Bajau Laut are a group of Malay people living in the Riau Islands of Indonesia. It also may refer to any Malay origin people living on coastal islands, including those of Andaman Sea islands in Thailand and Burma, commonly known as Moken.-Etymology:The Malay term orang laut...
people that Parameswara survived expansion attempts of neighbouring rulers and eventually went on to found the Sultanate of Malacca. Between the 15th and 19th centuries, Malaysian waters played a key role in political power struggles throughout Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. Aside from the local powers, antagonists also included colonial powers such as the Portuguese
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
, Dutch
Dutch Empire
The Dutch Empire consisted of the overseas territories controlled by the Dutch Republic and later, the modern Netherlands from the 17th to the 20th century. The Dutch followed Portugal and Spain in establishing an overseas colonial empire, but based on military conquest of already-existing...
and the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. A record of foreign presence, particularly in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
and the Strait of Malacca, is found today in watery graves for sailing vessels lost to storms, piracy, battles, and poor ship handling.
The 18th and 19th century saw an increase of piracy in the strait as European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
colonisers
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
arrived in the region. In part the arrival of European newcomers was spurred by the economic imperative to control the lucrative spice trade
Spice trade
Civilizations of Asia were involved in spice trade from the ancient times, and the Greco-Roman world soon followed by trading along the Incense route and the Roman-India routes...
. According to Charles Corn, author of The Scents of Eden: A Narrative of the Spice Trade:
Increased commercial traffic through the strait and the poor economic conditions of the local populations drove many people to piracy. Piracy was also sometimes used as a form of political resistance to colonialism. Pirate crews often came from the Lanun people, a people native to the coastal villages in the region. Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
pirates, outcasts of Qing dynasty China
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
, could also be found to prey on unsuspecting trading ships.
In the 1830s, the controlling colonial powers in the region, the British and the Dutch, agreed to curb the rampant piracy. They drew the British-Dutch demarcation along the strait and agreed to fight against piracy on their own side of the demarcation line. This demarcation line would eventually become the modern day's border between Malaysia and Indonesia in the strait. Increased patrolling and superior seafaring technology on the part of the European powers, as well as improved political stability and economic conditions in the region, eventually allowed the European powers to greatly curb piracy in the region by the 1870s.
Modern piracy
International Maritime Bureau
The International Maritime Bureau is a specialized department of the International Chamber of Commerce.The IMB's responsibilities lie in fighting crimes related to maritime trade and transportation, particularly piracy and commercial fraud, and in protecting the crews of ocean-going vessels.It...
(IMB) reports worldwide pirate attacks fell for the third year in a row in 2006. Attacks on ships at sea in 2006 fell to 239 vessels, down from 276 in 2005. That same trend echoed in the Strait of Malacca where attacks dropped from 79 in 2005 to 50 in 2006. Nonetheless, in 2004, the region accounted for 40% of piracy worldwide. The IMB reported in October 2007 that Indonesia continued to be the world's most pirate-struck region with 37 attacks since January 2007, though an improvement from the same nine month period of 2006.
The September 11 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
also heightened the perceived threat of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
-related piracy. However, U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) experts point to the need to distinguish terrorism from piracy, and piracy from shore gangs who rob ships in port. Observers make the argument that there is not a single problem of violence at sea, but rather a collection of problems. Subsequently, different kinds of violence requires different defenses.
Technology is being used to combat pirates, in addition to air and sea patrols. For instance, the IMB's 2006 annual report notes that since July 2004 vessels 500 gross tons or more have to have security alert systems on board. Security systems include near real-time ship location devices. Furthermore, the Federation of Asean Shipowners' Associations (Fasa) has launched a database system to provide updated information on location, types of attacks, and outcomes. The system, Information Sharing Centre (ISC), is part of a 14-nation pact to combat pirates. According to the Singapore Transport Ministry
Ministry of Transport (Singapore)
The Ministry of Transport is a ministry in the Government of Singapore that administers and regulates land, sea and air transportation within the republic’s jurisdiction....
's Permanent Secretary:
Violent, armed pirates robbing crews at sea grab attention-getting headlines. However, the direct economic impact of robbery at sea is constrained in context of the volume of global trade in the area. Typically pirate booty is limited ship's stores, engine parts, and cash and personal property from crew members. Nonetheless, the indirect costs of piracy are noted, including increased security measures and spikes in insurance premiums for shipping.
For instance, Lloyds of London previously declared the strait a high war-risk area for insurance purposes, underscoring the outlaw reputation of the Strait of Malacca in recent years. The action added a premium of 1 percent of cargo value, "infuriating shipping lines", according to news reports. The declaration of the sea lane as a high war-risk area referenced the waterway's "war, strikes, terrorism and related perils." However, company officials lifted the advisory in 2006, after Singapore and Indonesia launched their sea and air patrols.
Pirate attacks have not stopped the some 50,000 ships that annually transit the narrow passage. 40% of the world's trade passes through this strait. Additionally, it has become the most important route of transport for oil from the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
to oil markets in East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
.
According to the IMB, the majority of modern pirates in the region are of Indonesian origin. Of the countries in the region, Indonesia's navy is least equipped to combat piracy. Instances of modern piracy typically fall under one of three categories: pirates looking for easy profit, pirates working with or belonging to organized crime syndicates, or pirates associated with terrorist or secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
ist groups with political motivations.
Pirates looking only for easy profit are usually criminals of opportunity. They search for easy targets, robbing ships and their crews of money and valuables. Those belonging to organized criminal syndicates attack with more sophistication and planning. Their operations, which require skill, coordination, and funding, aim to steal large cargoes or to kidnap ships' crews for ransom. The kind of piracy related to terrorism operates similarly to those related to organized crime, however terrorism related piracy differs in motivation in that it seeks to gain funding to continue terrorist activities or it seeks to make political statements.
Multi-national collaboration
In 2004, the three countries in the region, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore increased efforts to patrol the strait in an attempt to curb piracy. While Singapore wants international support in this effort, Indonesia and Malaysia are opposed to foreign intervention. It remains to be seen whether or not the three countries will be able to stamp out piracy. The problem is especially acute in Indonesia. There were 325 reported pirate attacks worldwide in 2004, while nine occurred in Malaysian waters and eight in Singaporean waters, a total of 93 occurred in Indonesian waters.With Indonesia making it clear that it is not adequately equipped to patrol the Strait, the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
and Indian Coast Guard
Indian Coast Guard
The Indian Coast Guard is a branch of the Indian Armed Forces. Its mission is the protection of India's maritime interests and maritime law enforcement with jurisdiction over both territorial and international waters....
finally agreed to join the multi-national piracy patrol in the Strait of Malacca in 2006.
India is also building a UAV
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
-patrol base in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to monitor the Andaman Sea
Andaman Sea
The Andaman Sea or Burma Sea is a body of water to the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, south of Burma, west of Thailand and east of the Andaman Islands, India; it is part of the Indian Ocean....
which lies adjacent to the Strait of Malacca.
Due to cooperation between these countries, and to some extent Thailand, piracy in the region has been almost eradicated, with only two attempts in 2008. However, according to piracy expert Catherine Zara Raymond
Catherine Zara Raymond
Catherine Zara Raymond is an international maritime security expert. She is an Associate at the Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies, based at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom.-Career:...
:
See also
- PiracyPiracyPiracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
- Piracy in the CaribbeanPiracy in the Caribbean] The era of piracy in the Caribbean began in the 16th century and died out in the 1830s after the navies of the nations of Western Europe and North America with colonies in the Caribbean began combating pirates. The period during which pirates were most successful was from the 1690s until the 1720s...
- Piracy in SomaliaPiracy in SomaliaPiracy off the coast of Somalia has been a threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War in the early 21st century...
- Ship location mapping serviceSailwxSailwx is an integrated maritime information service that aggregates worldwide ship locations into a single map. Weather conditions including ocean currents, wave height and tides are also available and can be integrated into ship location maps....
- WokouWokouWokou , which literally translates as "Japanese pirates" in English, were pirates of varying origins who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century onwards...
External links
- Southeast Asia's modern-day pirates
- 2004 vs. 2007 global piracy summary, The Economist, published 23 Apr 2008, accessed 2008-04-28.
- Pirates mock Malacca Strait security
- "Tribute and Trade", KoreanHistoryProject.org
- ISEAS publications regarding piracy
- National Geographic article on modern pirates in Malacca Straits
- ReCAAP: Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery