Kathmandu School of Law Review

P-ISSN : 2091-2110, E-ISSN : 2773-8159, DOI : 10.46985, Publisher : Kathmandu School of Law, Nepal
Annual flagship journal of Kathmandu School of Law, Nepal

Volume 5, Issue 1, April 2017
Articles

Maritime Threats to the South and Southeast Asia: Scope for a Regional Agreement

PDF
  • Utpal Kumar Raha
    ,
  • Raju K. D.
Utpal Kumar Raha
Research Scholar, Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law, IIT, Kharagpur
Bio
Raju K. D.
Associate Professor, Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law, IIT Kharagpur
Bio

Published 2017-04-30

Keywords

  • No Keywords.

How to Cite

Raha, U. K., & K. D., R. (2017). Maritime Threats to the South and Southeast Asia: Scope for a Regional Agreement. Kathmandu School of Law Review, 5(1), 49–61. Retrieved from https://kslreview.org/index.php/kslr/article/view/995

Abstract

Piracy has continued to be a thriving criminal activity in the seas and pirates are considered to be the enemy of mankind. Recent reports show that more than half of the piracy reports reported have been from the area of Southeast Asia. Along with piracy, armed robbery, illicit trafficking, and smuggling have broadened and deepened the nature and scope of this threat. The Law of the Sea Convention (UNCLOS III) 1982, SUA Convention, 1988 and the regional agreements establish the legal frameworks then several organizations have enhanced enforcement measures in the suppression of sea perils. This paper attempts to examine the drawbacks in the existing legal framework and maritime security arrangements and to provide suggestions to fill the gaps. It further argues that India should take the lead in entering into a regional maritime security agreement with South and South East Asian nations within the ambit of UNCLOS 1982. This is important in the background of South China Sea Dispute and consequent maritime security issues in the region.

PDF

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

  1. Yun YunTeo, ‘Target Malacca Straits: Maritime Terrorism in Southeast Asia’, Vol. 30, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism p. 541, 2007, p. 561.
  2. ‘JOC Top 50 World Container Ports 2014’, 15 December 2015, available at http://www.joc.com/port-news/international-ports/joc-top-50-world-container ports_20150820.html, accessed on 15 December 2015.
  3. Caroline Liss, ‘The Privatization of Maritime Security-Maritime Security in South East Asia: Between a Rock and a Hard Place’, February 2007, Murdoch University available at http://www.murdoch.edu.au/Research-capabilities/Asia-ResearchCentre/_document/working-papers/wp141.pdf, accessed on 16 November 2015.
  4. CNBC News, ‘Piracy Increased by 22% in South East Asia’, 9 July 2015, available at http://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/09/piracy-increases-by-22-in-southeast-asia.html, accessed on 9 September 2015.
  5. Chris Rahman, ‘Concept of Maritime Security - A Strategic Perspective on Alternative Visions for Good Order and Security at Sea with Policy Implications for New Zealand’, 12 December 2015, Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand Victoria University of Wellington, available at http://www.victoria.ac.nz/hppi/centres/strategic-studies/documents/Concepts-ofMaritime-Security-DP07-09.pdf, accessed on 12 December 2015).
  6. UNGA, ‘Oceans and the Law of the Sea: Report of the Secretary-General’ ,10 March 2008, UN Doc A/63/63, available at https://documents-ddsny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N08/266/26/PDF/N0826626.pdf?OpenElement, accessed on 21 November 2015.
  7. United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea (adopted 10 December 1982, opened for signature 10 December 1982, entered into force 16 December 1994) 1833 UNTS 3 (UNCLOS) art 19.
  8. Natalie Klein, Maritime security and the Law of the Sea, Oxford: Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2011, p. 11.
  9. Ibid (n.6).
  10. Maximo Q. Mejia Jr., ‘Pierre Cariou, Fran¸cois-Charles Wolff’ Piracy in Shipping. 2010, available at https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00470616/document, accessed on 27 August 2015.
  11. Ibid (n.7), art 105.
  12. Ibid (n.8) p. 118
  13. Hua-Lun Huang, ‘Who are sea cutthroats? A typological analysis of pirates, Crime’, 2009, Law and Social Change, available at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10611-0099225-x#page-2 , accessed on 19 November 2015.
  14. Ho, Joshua H., ‘Enhancing Safety, Security, and Environmental Protection of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore: The Cooperative Mechanism’, Vol. 40, Ocean Dev. & Int’l L. p. 233, 2009, p. 247.
  15. Robert Beckman, ‘Enhancing Regional Cooperation on Piracy and Maritime Crimes ‘,National University of Singapore(CIL) , available at
  16. http://cil.nus.edu.sg/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Beckman-and-DavenportEnhancing-Regional-Cooperation-in-Piracy-and-Maritime-Crimes.pdf ,accessed on 29 November 2015.
  17. ‘IMO Code of Practice for the Investigation of the Crime of Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships’, 18 January 2010, INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION, available at http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Security/PiracyArmedRobbery/Guidance/Documents /A.1025.pdf, accessed 14 November 2015.
  18. Douglas Guilfoyle, ‘International law and counter-piracy in the Indian Ocean’, Vol. 8, Journal of the Indian Ocean Region p. 202, 2012 p. 218.
  19. Robert C. Beckman, ‘Combatting Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Southeast Asia: The Way Forward’, Vol. 33, Ocean Dev. & Int’l L. p. 317, 2010, p. 341.
  20. Peter Chalk, ‘Piracy off the Horn of Africa: Scope, Dimensions, Causes and Responses’, 16 The Brown Journal of World Affairs p. 89, 2010, p.108.
  21. Ibid (n.8) p. 303.
  22. Ted Kemp, ‘World’s Most Pirated Waters’, CBNC ,available at http://www.cnbc.com/2014/09/15/worlds-most-pirated-waters.html, accessed on 10 July 2016.
  23. Prashanth Parameswaran, ‘Indonesia, Malaysia Step Up Fight Against Piracy’, The Diploma, available at http://thediplomat.com/2015/09/indonesia-malaysia-step-up-fight-againstpiracy/, accessed 10 July 2016.
  24. Ibid 14
  25. Suk Kyoon Kim, ‘Maritime Security Initiatives in East Asia: Assessment and the Way Forward’, Vol. 42, Ocean Dev. & Int’l L. p. 227, 2011, p. 244.
  26. ‘About ReCAAP’, ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC), available at http://www.recaap.org/AboutReCAAPISC.aspx, accessed on 8 December 2015.
  27. Ibid (n.11), art 105.
  28. Convention for the suppression of unlawful acts against the safety of maritime navigation (adopted 10 March 1988, entered into force 1 March 1992) 1678 UNTS 304 (Fixed Platform Protocol) art 3.
  29. Nikos Pass & Anamika Twyman-Ghoshal, ‘Controlling piracy in Southeast Asia- thinking outside the Box’, Piracy And International Maritime Crimes In ASEAN p.62, 2012, p.94.
  30. Convention for the suppression of unlawful acts against the safety of maritime navigation (adopted 10 March 1988, entered into force 1 March 1992) 1678 UNTS 304 (Fixed Platform Protocol) art 7.
  31. Peter Lehr, ‘Piracy and maritime governance in the Indian Ocean’, Vol. 9, Journal of The Indian Ocean Region p. 104, 2013, p.119.
  32. Ibid.
  33. Vijay Sakhuja, ‘Sea Piracy in South Asia’, ed. Peter Leher, New York: Routledge, 2008, p. 23.
  34. Vijay Sakhuja, ‘Maritime Security in Southeast Asia’, Vol. 29, Contemporary Southeast Asia: A Journal of International and Strategic Affairs available at http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/contemporary_southeast_asia_a_journal_of_international_an d_strategic_affairs/v029/29.2sakhuja.pdf, accessed 27 October 2015.
  35. The Piracy Bill 2012, PRS India available at http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/Piracy/piracy%20bill%20text%20_%202012.pdf Accessed, 16 September 2015.
  36. Pride Foramer v. Union of India (UOI) And Ors, AIR 2001 Bom 332, 2002 (4) Bom CR 751. See also, Aban Loyd Chiles Offshore Ltd. v. Union of India &Ors. (2008) 11 SCC 439 36 Terence Lee & Kevin McGahan, ‘Norm Subsidiarity and Institutional Cooperation: Explaining the Straits of Malacca Anti-Piracy Regime’, Vol. 28, The Pacific Review, 2015.
  37. Here the term is used to mean to give a chase by officials of a country behind the accused involved with the maritime offence for the punishment. Within the MALSINDO framework the officials of one country are not allowed to give a chase to such accused beyond its territorial limit.
  38. Paul W. Parfomak & John Frittelli, ‘Maritime Security: Potential Terrorist Attacks and Protection Priorities’, 2007, available at http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl33787.pdf, accessed on 8 December 2015.
  39. Raymond Catherine Zara, ‘Maritime Terrorism, A Risk Assessment: The Australian Example’, ed. Joshua Ho, Catherine Zara Raymond, Singapore: Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, 2005, p. 179-212.
  40. ‘Home Minister’s Statement on Terrorist Attacks in Mumbai’, South Asia Terrorism Portal, available at http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/document/papers/08_dec_12_HM_st.htm , accessed on 28 October 2015.
  41. Vijay Sakhuja, ‘Maritime Terrorism: Karachi as a Staging Point”, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, available at http://www.ipcs.org/article/peace-and-conflict-database-pakistan/maritime- terrorismkarachias-a-staging-point-4680.html, accessed on 14 December 2015.
  42. Peter Lehr, ‘Maritime Terrorism: Locations, Actors, and Capabilities’, ed. Rupert HerbertBurns, Sam Bateman, Peter Lehr, (CRC Press, 2009), p. 55. Also Victor Asal & Justin V.
  43. Hastings, ‘When Terrorism Goes to Sea: Terrorist Organizations and the Move to Maritime Targets, Terrorism and Political Violence’, Vol. 27, Terrorism and Political Violence p. 722, 2015, p. 740.
  44. Peter Chalk, ‘The Maritime Dimension of International Security Terrorism, piracy, and Challenges for the United States’,2008, available at http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG697.pdf, accessed on 19 December 2015.
  45. Victor Asala and Justin V. Hastings, ‘When Terrorism Goes to Sea: Terrorist Organizations and the Move to Maritime Targets’, Vol. 27, Terrorism and Political Violence p. 722, 2015, p. 740.
  46. Kapil Bhatia, ‘Reinforcing Maritime Connectivity through Information Sharing: An Indian Perspective, ed. DR Pang Yang Huei’, 2001, Singapore: POINTER: Journal of the Singapore Armed Forces, available at http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/publications/pointer/supplements/IFC/_jcr_content/i mindefPars/0006/file.res/MINDEF_Pointer%20IFC%20Supplement%20FINAL.pdf, accessed on 13 November 2015.
  47. ‘ASEAN Defense Ministries Meeting’, available at https://admm.asean.org/index.php/about-admm/2013-01-22-10-51- 17.html, accessed on 13 December 2015.
  48. It is a platform providing for the exchange of opinion among the naval professionals over the issues relating to maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region. The littoral states of South Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Timor Leste are the members of it.
  49. In 2014 there were navies of 17 nations that took part at Port Blair in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. and see P.K. Ghosh (2014). Maritime Security Trilateralism: India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Strategic Analysis, 38 no. 3, (May 14).
  50. ‘Outcome Document of the Second NSA-Level Meeting on Trilateral Cooperation on Maritime Security between India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka’, available at http://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/21922/Outcome+Document+of+the +Second+NSALevel+Meeting+on+Trilateral+Cooperation+on+Maritime+Security+betwe en+India+the+Maldives+and+Sri+Lank ,accessed 9 December 2015.
  51. Sakhuja, Vijai, ‘India, Sri Lanka & Maldives: A Maritime Troika Leads the Way’, available at http://www.ipcs.org/article/peace-and-conflict-database-sri-lanka/india-sri-lanka-maldivesamaritime- troika-leads-the-way-4065.html , accessed on 13 November 2015.
  52. ‘IFC is a regional Maritime Security (MARSEC) information-sharing center founded by Singapore Navy and it facilitates information-sharing and collaboration between partners to enhance maritime security to the region’, available at http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/press_room/official_releases/nr/2014/apr/04apr14_nr /04apr14_fs.html#.VkV2qLcrLIU, accessed on 13November 2015.
  53. Ibid (n.43).