The pirates are in effect using the hostages as human shields
A US investigation into the death of a Taiwanese captain during a NATO anti-piracy operation off Somalia in May found that the hostage “was killed inadvertently by ordnance” by the US Navy. Wu Lai-yu was captain of the fishing vessel Jih Chun Tsai 68, which was hijacked by Somali pirates off the eastern coast of Africa on 30 March 2010 and then used as a pirate mothership.
He died on 10 May 2011 during a NATO anti-piracy operation, which employed ordnance to force the vessel to stop, release hostages and surrender weapons. The pirates had returned fire with AK-47s before they surrendered. The naval boarding party found Wu dead in his sleeping quarters. He was buried with due ceremony at sea in his vessel, which was then sunk, as it was unseaworthy after the operation.
The case indicates the difficulties involved in naval anti-piracy operations against captured vessels and their crew, which Somali pirates use to further their attacks on shipping. The pirates are in effect using the hostages as “human shields” to pursue further acts of piracy.
The increasing brutality of the pirates has fuelled the global concern of the dangers to seafarers. The SOS Save Our Seafarers campaign website has now generated almost 20,000 letters from individuals around the world calling on their governments to take action to end piracy. Supporters in India and Philippines are currently taking the lead in calling on their governments to take action.
Somali pirates continue to hold captive around 20 vessels and 398 hostages, according to figures from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). Hostages include seven Indian seafarers from the Asphalt Venture still held captive despite the payment of a ransom in April. There has also been an increase in attacks on shipping off West Africa.
Recent incidents reported to the IMB’s worldwide Piracy Reporting Centre include:
- Armed pirates boarded a tanker 20 nautical miles off Cotonou, Benin on 24 July and hijacked the vessel and 23 crew members.
- Pirates approached a containership in the Red Sea on 23 July and chased it but abandoned the attack after the captain raised the alarm, increased speed, took evasive manoeuvres and the crew activated fire hoses. The ship was later approached by another pirate skiff, which abandoned an attack because of the razor wire rigged along the ship’s side and the vessel’s evasive manoeuvres.
- Skiffs with pirates approached a tanker in the Red Sea on 22 July and ignored flares but moved away after the onboard security team fired a warning shot.
- Six armed pirates in a skiff chased a containership in the Gulf of Aden on 22 July but the vessel took evasive manoeuvres to avoid an attack.
- Armed pirates in a skiff fired on a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden on 22 July but the captain took evasive manoeuvres to avoid an attack. A warship in the vicinity stopped and boarded the skiff.
- Armed robbers boarded a vehicle carrier during cargo operations in Conakry, Guinea on 22 July, held a duty crewmember at gunpoint and hit him, and escaped with stolen ship’s stores.
- Robbers boarded a bulk carrier anchored at Samarinda Muara Berau, Indonesia on 17 July and escaped with ship’s stores.
- Ten robbers armed with guns attempted to board a tanker anchored four nautical miles off Cotonou, Benin on 6 July but abandoned their attempt after the crew raised the alarm. The same robbers approached the tanker in the early hours of the following morning but moved away after the crew fired flares
Source: ITF
