Indonesia tops piracy attacks, watchdog urges regional fight
The Piracy Reporting Centre said worldwide actual or attempted piracy attacks from January to June hit a 10-year high for the period of 165.
Indonesia accounted for 44 incidents and 14 occurred in the busy Malacca Strait separating Southeast Asia's biggest country from Malaysia, said the Kuala Lumpur-based centre in a half-yearly report.
"It is common knowledge that attacks originate from Indonesia and have increased due to the breakdown in law and order in Indonesia," it said.
The report said the declining economy and lack of maritime patrolling by the cash-strapped Indonesian navy had exacerbated the piracy threat in regional waters.
"Greater cooperation among Asian countries is needed to combat piracy," the centre added, while lamenting the reluctance of governments to grant access to their territorial waters to other countries.
Offensive action
"Some governments advocate the need for shared or joint patrols, other experts said that offensive action against sea robbers is best undertaken unilaterally by the state that harbours them," it said.
Bangladesh saw 15 actual or attempted attacks, Malaysia and India 13 each respectively and Philippines and Thailand four each.
The centre, which is operated by the British-based International Maritime Bureau, urged mariners to be extra cautious when sailing the Malacca Strait between the coordinates 01 to 02 North-101 to 103 East.
"The most risk-prone area is within 25 nautical miles radius surrounding 02 North-102 East, where armed gangs of pirates seem to have repeatedly attacked ships," it said.
The report urged ships to avoid anchoring along the Indonesian coast of the Malacca Strait.
"The coast of Aceh is particularly dangerous," it said, referring to a province on the northwest tip of Indonesia beset by separatist unrest.
Shipowners were also urged to fit the second generation of Shiploc device, which can be concealed on board and report a vessel's position up to 15 times a day.
