Southeast Asia: Piracy and Maritime Security in the Strait of Malacca Japan's policy formulation on piracy for Southeast Asia. The article will examine piracy and maritime terrorism in the Strait of Malacca, as well as some areas of concern in the sea lines of Southeast Asia regarding the Philippines and the Strait as a “high-risk” zone. The effective management of a regional problem of piracy and maritime terrorism in the Southeast Asian Strait of Malacca region requires an understanding of current political dynamics and security approaches.
Terrorist operatives are well trained and well prepared for a major maritime attack in the Strait of Malacca. While piracy is a problem, we must also be aware that maritime terrorism is also a potential threat in the Strait of Malacca. We should not be complacent that while piracy is a major problem in the Strait of Malacca, the possibility and threat of maritime terrorism should not be overlooked.
The majority of attacks during 2008 in the Southeast Asia region targeted tankers as opposed to other vessels transiting the straits. A number of attacks also occurred in the southern Philippines and in waters off Vietnam. The growth of merchant shipping in Southeast Asia makes the challenge of maritime piracy and terrorism in the region alarming.
Japan's Initiatives and Contribution to the Security of Maritime Lines of Communication in Southeast Asia: Piracy and Maritime Security in the Straits of Malacca.
Japan’s Policy Formulation in Piracy for Southeast Asia
However, we must note that the second largest terrorist organization operating in the world in terms of geographical area remains in Southeast Asia and Jemaah Islamiyah is part of this organization. Evidence obtained from captured JI members clearly points to the rise of "Islamic extremism" and its aim to transform the Southeast Asian region into a "pan-Islamic state". We should not compare Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations with Jemaah Islamiyah, as their reach is global and Al Qeada uses JI as a major front in Southeast Asia.liii.
Addressing piracy issues in meetings related to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UN General Assembly, UN Informal Consultative Process, etc.). Promoting the accession of other countries to relevant conventions, such as the Convention for the Prohibition of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (Rome Convention). Maintaining momentum against the piracy problem and including the problem in international meetings with ASEAN + 3 (Japan, China, South Korea) and calling for the signing of the Rome Convention.
Support for the strengthening of self-protection by shipowners and cargo owners (cooperation with national shipowners' associations in the ASEAN countries).
Japan’s Earlier Efforts in Southeast Asia on Combating Piracy and Maritime Threats
Following this, a similar conference took place in Singapore and Brunei in 2001, which later developed a proposed convening of a working group of government-level experts to examine the formulation of a regional cooperation agreement related to anti-piracy measures.lvi The ASEAN side is very high . evaluated Japan's initiatives and cooperation on the above issues. Also in 2000, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Transport (now Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) Japan Coast Guard organized a regional conference on combating piracy and armed robbery supported by the Nippon Foundation. Coast Guard agencies, maritime policy makers, shipowners associations IMO and ten ASEAN members represented the conference.
In addition to the above initiatives taken by the Japanese, an observation team from Japan visited Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines, consisting of members of the Ministry of Transport, the Japan Coast Guard and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The issues addressed during these visits were based on the promotion of regional cooperation on anti-piracy measures, the continuation of the regional conference on the fight against piracy and armed robbery and Japan's cooperation and assistance programs and the understanding of the urgent needs of these governments.lviii. In the framework of this visit, the deployment of maritime coast guards for combined patrolling exercises, the holding of an expert meeting, the exchange and training of human resources as well as technical assistance and a seminar on maritime law enforcement and coordinated patrols, and most of the it had been carried out since 2000.
In 2001, a Conference on Asian Cooperation on Anti-Piracy was held to address the increasingly heinous and organized crimes related to piracy. The information was disseminated among the participating countries and future regional cooperation measures were also discussed. The conference concluded a multi-regional cooperation, which was indispensable among the ASEAN countries due to a number of factors related to antipiray.lix.
Japan’s Current Policy on Piracy and the threat from Maritime Terrorism
Although issues regarding the divergence of interest in the institutional setting pose some obstacles, Japan is still moving forward with its initiatives to respond to the needs of the Asean nation, especially the threats of piracy and maritime terrorism in the Straits and Southeast Asia. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been tasked with assisting the capacity building programs along with the Japan Coast Guard.lxii I will later explain some of the training programs that the JCG proposes regarding JICA's involvement in the “Brief”. Japan in a meeting in Kuala Lumpur with the IMO held in 2006, proposed to voluntarily share the cost of security, safety and environmental protection of the Straits of Malacca and the Straits of Singapore.
The rule of the Law of the Sea will be the jurisdiction for this agreement and armed robbery for which it traditionally belonged to the coastal states. As much as Japan's strategic significance of the Straits of Malacca and Southeast Asian waters, Japan has mainly focused on civilian cooperation rather than military cooperation and has refrained from using its Maritime Self-Defense Force in the region, other than disaster relief missions and such as the Tsunami -relief efforts in the Straits of Malacca in 2004. In light of the Japanese government's role and approaches to piracy and maritime terrorism, this is very clearly represented in the government's policy to eradicate the current threats posed by these groups operating in operating in international waters. as well as the threat of terrorism in the context of "piracy and maritime terrorism".
On issues of piracy and maritime terrorism, the government and the private sector of Japan have cooperated to provide assistance to coastal states in enhancing safety and security in the strait. The Japanese Coast Guard's current activities in assisting, particularly the Southeast Asian nations, in combating piracy and terrorism have been very successful. Programs carried out by them have helped all littoral states as well as other stakeholders in the Southeast Asian nations.
One of the missions is the initiative taken for the Straits of Malacca to assist the newly formed Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) with capacity building and training programs for MMEA personnel. The Japanese Coast Guard has been in existence for the past sixty years and is able to provide the region, especially the strait, with its expertise in dealing with the threats of piracy. Japan's constitution on support of such kind should not be related to military as well as the Japanese government's adherence to the non-interference charter.
The efforts of the international community must continue to promote a better understanding of the problems and eradicate the threat of piracy and terrorism. We have noted the many obstacles hindering the security concerns of the Asean nations, the cooperation of the Japanese government to the Straits of Malacca and the Southeast Asian nations on piracy-related issues and maritime security threats from terrorism. A significant challenge that must be dealt with as soon as possible is the issue of the non-interference charter.
Philip Sherwell, Massoud Ansari, and Marianne Kearney, “Al Qaeda's Terrorist Plan to Turn Tanker into Floating Bomb,” The Telegraph, Internet Edition September 12, 2004. Muthiah Alagappa, “International Security Dynamics in Southeast Asia: Change and Continuity Australian Journal of International Affairs 45, no.1 (May 1191), p.1.
