In this part of the world, piracy is a real and deadly peril. The Straits of Malacca is a maritime choke point for ships going from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. Asian defense experts examined the problem here today at the Asia Security Conference, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
A story in a recent Straits Times detailed a pirate boarding of a Thai ship. Pirates – armed to the teeth – boarded the ship, kidnapped the captain and a crewman and took the vessel’s trading documents. All will be held for ransom, which the article said will be paid.