When piracy is actually robbery

Legal distinction often ignored by media.

SSA: Need to differentiate between piracy and sea robbery

Crystal Chan

The Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) has emphasised that there is a difference between piracy and sea robbery and the media should know this as sovereign states respond differently to each incident type.

In a statement issued on 22 June, the SSA said that a study it commissioned showed that many of the incidents that occurred in Southeast Asia in the first quarter of 2015 should be classified as sea robbery.

Unlike piracy, which refers to attacks in international waters, sea robbery happens in territorial waters and is thus under the littoral state’s jurisdiction.

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Source: ihsmaritime360.com