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Indonesia-Singapore cooperation essential in fight against piracy
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Pirate suspects are on display at the Naval Base (Lantamal IV) in Batam, Riau Islands on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017. The Indonesian Navy's Western Fleet Quick Response Unit (WFQR) arrested 15 alleged pirates in Singapore straits who were using six wooden boats when nabbed (Courtesy of Indonesian Navy Region IV/file)
T
he recent abduction of three Indonesian crew members on the high seas off Congo is an example of the troubling rise in piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea this year.
The International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre recorded that the area has accounted for 57 of the 156 reported incidents so far in 2018. What do we know of the incident, whose jurisdiction applies and what are states’ obligations as stipulated by international law?
The condition of the kidnapped Indonesian crew members remains unclear, as are the perpetrators’ identities and
purpose.
The kidnappings occurred in two separate incidents that intersected. The first incident was the attack on the Singapore-flagged ARK TZE offshore supply vessel, 68 nautical miles off west Pointe-Noire, Congo, on Oct. 29. Of 15 crew members, 12 were Indonesian citizens. Nine Indonesian crewmen have been released, but the other three are still being held hostage.
The second incident was the hijacking of a Panama-flagged tanker the Anuket Amber, which was then used to host the abducted Indonesian crew members along with one Ukrainian from the first ship.
In a bid to avoid tracking, the hijackers turned off the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and communication. On Nov. 2, the ship was seen heading southwest from Lome Togo; the hijackers have yet to release any information or demand.
