[list_indonesia] [ppiindia] Japan to offer patrol ships to curb piracy
- From: "Ambon" <sea@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2005 04:03:41 +0100
** Mailing-List Indonesia Nasional Milis PPI-India www.ppi-india.da.ru **
http://asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200503170145.html
Japan to offer patrol ships to curb piracy
03/17/2005
The government will offer patrol vessels to Indonesia to help fend off pirates
in the Malacca Strait, such as the ones who abducted two Japanese and a
Filipino on Monday.
Officials said the unarmed vessels, likely two or three midsized Craft Large
(CL) patrol boats measuring about 20 meters in length, could be delivered by
fiscal 2006.
Each vessel will cost 700 million yen, including transport fees. The costs
would be covered by the official development assistance (ODA) budget,
government officials said.
The decision, which came Tuesday, represents the first time the government will
offer vessels to a developing country free of charge to deter pirates.
The Malacca Strait has long been plagued by piracy. About 90 percent of Japan's
oil supply from the Middle East passes through this sea artery.
The CL patrol vessels can travel at high speeds and also make razor-sharp
turns.
``They are ideal for handling pirates in the Malacca Strait where there are
many islands,'' a senior Japan Coast Guard official said.
The three crew members were taken at gunpoint from the Japanese-registered
tugboat Idaten on Monday. The government was still trying to contact the
pirates on Wednesday. No ransom demand has been received by the Japanese
shipping company that owns the Idaten.
A state investigative team consisting of Foreign Ministry and Japan Coast Guard
officials will be sent to Indonesia within the year regarding the offer, the
officials said.
The government is also considering a program to train Indonesian crew members
in Japan so they can aptly pilot the vessels. Japan Coast Guard officials could
also be sent to Indonesia to hold training courses, officials said.
Initially, the government considered offering larger vessels more than 30
meters long. That idea was scrapped, however, over concerns Indonesia might
convert the boats into armed vessels to combat rebel forces, officials said.
The ODA Charter stipulates that ODA funds should not be used for foreign
nations' military aims or to promote international conflicts.
Officials stressed that since the CL patrol boats will not be armed, the offer
will not violate Japan's weapons-export ban.(IHT/Asahi: March 17,2005)
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