T

he House of Representatives has called on the Indonesian Military (TNI) to cooperate with neighboring countries’ military forces to secure Somali waters, where piracy has become a growing threat to vessels in the area.

“Now there must be a comprehensive solution to this problem. It should be considered to cooperate with other countries, such as Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore and India,” TB Hasanuddin, deputy chairman of House’s Commission I overseeing defense, said on Monday.

“Each country contributes warships and takes turns escorting cargo vessels and securing seaways.”

He said the European Union countries were using the same strategy.

The highly organized piracy industry in Somalia threatens international shipping in the Indian Ocean.

Currently, around 40 ships with more than 600 crew members from various countries are estimated to be hijacked by pirates in Somali waters. Last year, 53 ships were hijacked worldwide, of which 49 were hijacked by Somali pirates.

On March 16, Indonesian cargo ship MV Sinar Kudus and its 20 crew members were captured by Somali pirates as it approached the Gulf of Aden.

Bound for Rotterdam, the relatively small vessel traveled from Pamala, West Sulawesi, carrying 8,300 tons of ferronickel worth an estimated Rp 1.5 trillion (US$174 million).

The 20 Indonesian sailors’ 46-day-long ordeal ended on Sunday with the payment of an undisclosed ransom amount to their captors for their release.

The TNI said a gun fight broke out between the Indonesian troops and the Somali pirates who took the Sinar Kudus crew hostage after the ransom money was paid. Four pirates were killed in the incident but the Indonesian soldiers failed to recover the ransom money. The troops only managed to seize the speedboat that the pirates had used, he added.

MV Sinar Kudus was reportedly back underway on Sunday afternoon, headed for the nearest port, Salalah, Oman, escorted by 20 naval vessels.

While Hasanuddin urged the TNI to cooperate with other countries to fight the pirates, TNI commander Adm. Agus Suhartono considered deploying warships and navy troops in Somali waters. He said several other countries had made similar assignments in the pirate-infested area.

“One of our considerations is how often do Indonesian ships pass through the area,” he said in a press conference at TNI Headquarters in Jakarta on Monday.

Agus highlighted that the TNI was considering other measures to prevent similar hostage dramas from happening again.

“We are also considering, as an alternative, escorting Indonesian vessels that sail through Somali [waters],” he said.

However, the Indonesian Navy reportedly still lacks the necessary ships to secure Indonesia’s waters.

Hasanuddin criticized Agus’ solution, saying that deploying warships and soldiers in the vast seaway would be too costly.

He also said assigning escort ships “would likely cost more than the shipping cost of the goods to be escorted”.

At noon on Sunday, Somali pirates once again showed their teeth, capturing a Singaporean palm oil tanker and its 25-member crew including 13 Indonesians.