World Navies should follow Indian Navy`s example: Noel Choon

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 21 (PTI) Advocating that all foreign Navies present in the African waters conduct "stop and search" operation of suspicious vessels like India did, a top official of an international maritime agency Friday said that it can help disrupt piracy operations.

"If the naval boats can stop and check suspicious
trawlers and boats for arms, RPGs, ladders etc and confiscate
them, this alone can sabotage piracy plans," Noel Choon, Head
of the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre
told PTI here.

He praised the Indian Naval Ship Tabar's attack on the
pirate's mother ship in the Gulf of Aden and said other navies
should follow Indian navy's example.

Malaysia has also commended the Indian navy's action.

Foreign Minister Rais Yatim told the ongoing APEC
meeting in Lima that the forum should get all nations to
quickly enforce the recent UN Security Council Resolution 1816
to combat piracy in international waters as it would make
global trade safer.

"It is imperative and timely for all APEC member
economies to consider measures to address the issue of piracy
in international waters in an effective manner," Rais said,
adding that Malaysia was ready to work with other countries
which shared the same predicament in the region.

"We can use UN Resolution 1816 as the basis to work
together to ensure human security and secure trade," he said.

"These piracy activities have not only disrupted the free
flow of trade but have also endangered the lives of crew
members on board. The scourge of terrorism and international
waters piracy has taken its toll on states, with several APEC
economies, including Malaysia, having become victims to acts
of piracy thousands of miles away from our shores.

"Malaysia's success in ensuring the safety of the Straits
of Malacca jointly with Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore
shows that we are able to overcome piracy," Rais said.

Choong, said that it would be difficult for other Navies
to detain pirates due to the prevailing law of the land, but
searching boats for weapons can be a first step towards
tackling the menace which is engulfing the Gulf of Aden.

"As long as there is no firm deterrent, piracy will
continue in the African waters," Choon said, adding the
involvement of the international community and bodies like the
United Nations was needed to help stamp out sea piracy.

"There must be a way to stop the armed marauders from
hijacking vessels with cargo and crew, political will is
required to urgently stop this," Choong said.

Armed Somali pirates hijacked a Hong Kong registered
cargo vessel late last week which had crew from India and some
other countries.

Pirates hijacked the Delight, a Hong Kong-registered
43,000 dead weight tonne cargo vessel bound for Iran. They
also seized a Thai fishing boat with 16 crew on board.

Referring to the Malacca Straits which too has witnessed
piracy attacks reportedly by Indonesian pirates some time
back, Choong said the Gulf of Aden area and Malacca Straits
could not be compared.

"They are totally different. There is a strong patrolling
by all the countries in the area in the Straits each of which
have a government, Navy and police," Choong said, adding that
in the case of Somalia there were only the warlords and no
powerful government. PTI