THE Asian Shippers' Council (ASC) has proposed using standard anti-terrorist measures against Somalia pirates because they "must be" in league with al-Qaeda units in the region."
"We should focus our effort in determining the most effective way to remove the pirate leaders from their strongholds, located along the coast of Somalia, in Caluula, Eyl, Hobyo and Harardhere," said an ASC statement, which is an amended version of draft the Singapore-based group inadvertently sent to the press.
Therefore it suggested governments in the region treat the pirates in the same manner as terrorists and should empower their navies to "take appropriate measures to defeat the pirates."
"Ransoms demanded have surged from US$3 million in 2007 to US$74 million in 2009. While some pirates have lost their lives and others have been charged in court and imprisoned, many more are living the good life," said the ASC's slightly toned-down paper.
"As the Chinese proverb says: 'Kill the chicken to scare the monkeys'. By making examples of some through decisive action, we can deter many more from taking to a life of piracy, thereby crippling the network," it said.
"Pirates are criminals who operate outside the law. They have endangered the lives of seafarers, jeopardised the livelihoods of shipowners and impaired international trade," said the re-written statement, as it did in the draft version.
But gone from the re-write were statements calling for predator drone strikes against pirates in their home village bases, or having naval forces deal with the ones they catch as they "deemed appropriate".
But the ASC still proposed "zeroing in on pirate hideouts". Naval officers should have the authority to detain the suspected ship and its crew, and take necessary measures, the final version said.
Third, the council proposes international community should work more closely to "uncover the piracy trail by pulling resources together and sharing information."
But "unless international navies capture men undertaking an act of piracy, there is a very limited legal basis on which to prosecute," said the British Ministry of Defence. EU and NATO naval forces captured and then released an estimated 700 suspected pirates in the first six months of 2010.
According to the International Maritime Bureau, 49 ships were captured and 1,016 seafarers taken hostage in 2010. So far, 28 vessels and 587 hostages are still detained off Somalia.
Hostages are being held for up to 120 days and some have been killed. So, piracy not only costs billion of dollars, it causes serious human security problems for seafarers and their families.
Source : HKSG, 28.03.11.
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