Pirates switch focus to SE Asia

Maritime crime moves East.

Chuck Chiang: Pirates switch focus to Southeast Asia

BY CHUCK CHIANG, VANCOUVER SUN

A report on international piracy is stirring debate about the seriousness of the problem in southeast Asian waters, with some experts contending that it is a pressing concern while others say the risks are being exaggerated.

The report by the International Maritime Bureau stated that Southeast Asia has overtaken the East African coast — the notorious stretch of water off Somalia — as the region with the highest number of pirate attacks and attempted attacks this year.

A Financial Times report last week said that in the first six months of 2015, incidents of piracy hit a 12-year high in Southeast Asia. And yet incidents have dramatically declined off the Horn of Africa, with the region once known as “Pirate Alley” not recording a single attack so far this year.

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Source: vancouversun.com