11 April 2011 | CIL Seminar Series

The Transnational Criminal Element to Piracy and Armed Sea Robbery Against Ships in South East Asia

Introduction

It is commonly believed that piracy and armed robbery in Southeast Asia is predominantly a local problem. However, the reality on the ground demonstrates that some of these crimes are actually transnational in nature, spanning and moving across the Singapore Strait and the South China Sea.

A good example is the situation off the waters of Anambas Island – a group of Indonesian islands in the South China Sea. Since 2008, fifty-two (52) attacks were reported in this area and its surrounding archipelagic and international waters. While these attacks have tapered off in the latter half of 2010 due to unfavourable weather conditions around the Anambas Islands, a corresponding dramatic increase has been reported elsewhere, specifically in the western Singapore Strait. These seemingly seasonal incidents point to, not only a connection among the criminal groups involved in these attacks, but also that their areas of operation are shifting as well. Thus, as improved weather arrives these coming summer months, with the first four (4) incidents having recently occurred between 20-25 March 2011, it is expected that the attacks along Anambas Islands will return and even increase, potentially outpacing 2010 statistics.

Taking off from the Anambas scenario, this presentation surveyed the latest trends and developments on syndicated piracy and armed sea robbery within Southeast Asia, as they also relate to other transnational crimes. Part of the discussion was devoted to seldom-discussed tug-boat hijackings which are unique occurrences in the region. Finally, the presentation examined the potential counter measures and capacity building initiatives that the primary stakeholders, the three littoral states: Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, could do in order to reduce the attacks in international waters off the Anambas Islands.

About the Speaker

Karsten is a Senior Analyst with Risk Intelligence as well as a Visiting Fellow with the Centre for International Law, University of Singapore. His research and interests cover both conventional and unconventional maritime security issues in the East and West African region as well as South East Asia with emphasis on syndicated criminal organizations, piracy, and trafficking (arms, drugs, and human) tactics and organizations. Karsten has written extensively on both Somali piracy as well as maritime security issues in South East Asia and has also presented at a number of international conferences on piracy, transnational crime, maritime law, boundary delimitation, and naval issues. Karsten holds a Masters in Strategic Studies and is also currently completing his PhD. Karsten has also served temporary postings at the United Nations International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), on the Executive Board for the Canadian Consortium on Asia Pacific Security and Chaired its Maritime Security Task Group. Currently Karsten is an active member in the Maritime Security Working Group and the Transnational Crime Group with the Council for Security Cooperation in Asia Pacific (CSCAP) and its Canadian Delegation.