By Prashanth Parameswaran
A new report has some troubling numbers for the region on this score.
Southeast Asia accounts for over half of the world’s piracy and armed robbery incidents in 2015, according to a report released by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).
The IMB’s figures indicate that Southeast Asia accounted for 55 percent of the world’s 54 piracy and armed robbery incidents since the start of 2015. That means that on average a small coastal tanker is hijacked by pirates in Southeast Asia every two weeks. The 30 incidents that have happened in Southeast Asia over the past three months dwarf the figures from other regions, with Africa having 11 incidents and East Asia seeing just eight.
The numbers are another indication that Southeast Asia has reemerged as the hotspot for global piracy. The region is a logical target–it is home to vital shipping lanes through which about half of world trade and a third of the world’s oil supply pass–and littoral states have enhanced regional cooperation in recent years to address piracy concerns. Yet,as The Diplomat previously reported, the IMB 2014’s data indicated that incidents have nevertheless been on the rise, with 141 piracy incidents in 2014, up from 126 in 2014. In contrast, the IMB’s recent report said zero incidents occurred in the notorious waters off Somalia in the first quarter of 2015, in part due to additional security and caution.
Read the full story at The Diplomat