China, Vietnam upbeat over ending territorial row by Ben Blanchard
Beijing - China and Vietnam are committed to finding a peaceful solution to a festering maritime territorial dispute and will continue dialogue, Chinese state media said on Monday. The two countries dispute sovereignty over the Spratly Islands, a string of rocky outcrops in the South China Sea suspected of containing large oil and gas deposits and also claimed by Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines. The neighbours would finish marking their land borders by the end of this year, the official People's Daily said, carrying a joint statement between the two sides signed during a visit by Vietnam Communist Party general secretary Nong Duc Manh. "Both sides agree to strictly abide by the consensus of those at the highest levels to jointly preserve stability in the southern seas and to maintain the dialogue mechanism for the maritime question," it said. "Both sides uphold to have peaceful dialogue to seek a fundamental and long-term solution that both sides can accept," the document said. China supported the Vietnamese Communists in their decades-long war against South Vietnam and its U.S. sponsors. But Vietnam has traditionally been wary of its larger Asian neighbour and in 1979 the two countries fought a brief border war after Vietnam occupied Cambodia and overthrew the murderous Khmer Rouge regime that favoured Beijing. Beijing and Hanoi normalised relations in 1991. In 1988, China and Vietnam fought a brief naval battle near one of the Spratly reefs in which more than 70 Vietnamese sailors died. Another set of islets further north of the Spratly group, the Paracel Islands, were seized by China in 1974 and have been occupied by them ever since despite Vietnamese protests. Though Vietnam and China have agreed to cooperate in oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of Tonkin in the north, last June BP halted plans to conduct exploration work off the southern Vietnamese coast, citing the territorial tensions. And in December China chided Vietnam after protests in front of the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi proclaiming that the Spratly and Paracel islands belonged to the Vietnamese. © Thomson Reuters 2008.

ECER to house marine research centre
Kuala Lumpur - The East Coast Economic Region (ECER) will be host to the countrys ground-breaking marine research centre for eco-engineering technologies in coastal protection. Situated in Bachok, the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES) will develop mariculture systems and launch expeditions into the South China Sea. Established through the assistance of the University of Malaya Maritime Research Centre (UMMReC), the IOES is in line with the aspirations of the Higher Education Ministry and the "Sea to Space Programme" of the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry. Head of UMMRec Professor Phang Siew Moi said the current marine biotechnology research in IOES was giving focus to developing the potential of tropical marine resources for marine biomedicine, bioremediation, new biomaterials, through new technologies like drug discovery, metagenomics, molecular genetics, genomics and bioinformatics and seaweed issue cultural technology. "There is large pharmaceutical and nutraceutical market. In Malaysia US$52.3 million was spent on health supplements in 2002, while US$3 billion was spent on cosmetics. Marine organisms are one of the major sources of materials for these products," Phang said in a statement Tuesday. These studies will help profile the ocean-earth-atmosphere systems, creating better understanding of effects on ocean productivity, the monsoons and global climate including impact on coastal populations. The institute is expected to cost RM13 million with equipment worth an additional RM12 million, and will collaborate with Universiti Malaysia Kelantan and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. One of the worlds leading institutions in ocean and earth sciences, the National Oceanography Centre Southampton has been invited to be the IOES advisor. © 2008 BERNAMA.

EU court dismisses challenge to sea pollution laws by Pete Harrison
Brussels - The European Union is entitled to set tougher standards and criminal penalties on sea pollution than measures included in international conventions, the EU's highest court said on Tuesday. The European Court of Justice dismissed a challenge to the 27-nation bloc's marine pollution laws by an international coalition of ship operators. Shipping interests, including tanker owners group Intertanko, had argued that the EU directive on ship-source pollution contravened two sets of international maritime laws. Ship owners said the directive sought to criminalise accidental spillages and questioned whether the EU had the right to impose criminal liability on foreign-flagged ships. "The court has concluded that the validity of the directive cannot be assessed in the light of either the Marpol Convention or the Convention on the Law of the Sea," an ECJ statement said. The EU's tough maritime laws seek to protect coastal tourism and fisheries from minor discharges from shipping, as well as catastrophic oil spills like the Prestige off Spain in 2002 and the Erika off France in 1999. © Thomson Reuters 2008.

First meeting after Batu Puteh verdict
Petaling Jaya - The Malaysia-Singapore joint technical committee to act on the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision over the ownership of Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge and maritime boundaries in the area met in the island republic yesterday. The meeting is the first after the ICJ handed down its decision on May 23. Foreign Ministry’s secretary-general Tan Sri Rastam Isa led the Malaysian team that also comprised Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and senior government officials while Singapore’s delegation was led by Foreign Affairs permanent secretary, Peter Ho. It is learnt the meeting was to sort out technical matters following the court decision. “Now is the stage to accept the reality of the decision of the ICJ. It requires time and work to move towards the implementation of that decision. “The meeting was conducted in a friendly manner. We don’t want anything to hurt the excellent relations we currently enjoy with Singapore. “We must bear in mind that the net effect of this series of meetings we are going to hold must lead to proper delimitation of our maritime borders,” said an official. The ICJ had ruled that Singapore had sovereignty over Batu Puteh while Malaysia owned Middle Rocks. The court left the question of sovereignty over South Ledge to be determined by the two neighbours. © 1995-2008 Star Publications (M) Bhd.

Fishermen happy with news by Rizalman Hammim
Kota Tinggi - The fishermen around Sungai Rengit, Pengerang, about 65km from here, are looking forward to a better catch with the news that they can now fish around Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge. Pengerang Fishermen Association chairman Abu Bakar Mohamad said the area around the three rock formations was a known fertile fishing ground but local fishermen had stayed away from it because Singapore's marine police were guarding the area. "We are thankful to the governments of Singapore and Malaysia for allowing fishermen access to the area. We can now go there without fear and are looking forward to a better catch," he said yesterday. The decision to allow fishermen to fish in the area was made on Tuesday at a meeting between the Foreign Ministries of Malaysia and Singapore. At the meeting, the Malay- sian team was headed by Foreign Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Rastam Mohd Isa and the Singaporean team by Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Peter Ho. "Although the decision has been announced, we hope the Malaysian government will come up with a written directive on it. We want an assurance from the government so that there will be no misunderstanding or confusion later on," said Abu Bakar. He said about 300 fishermen in the Sungai Rengit area are expected to benefit from the decision. Syed Mohd Ishak Mahusin, 62, who has been fishing for almost 45 years, said the decision was a boon for the fishing community here. "There is an abundance of fish in the area, especially around the waters of Middle Rock, and the types of fish are those that fetch high prices in the market, like grouper, kurau and pomfret," he said as he prepared lobster traps. He said some of his fellow fishermen had headed to the area early yesterday after hearing the announcement over the news on Friday night. "I think if we fish in the area just seven or eight times a month, our income would be better than what we get now." On another matter, Abu Bakar said he welcomed the government's proposal to reclaim land around Middle Rocks as the two rocky outcroppings, which are about 500 metres apart and only visible at low tide, could be joined and facilities built on the resulting island. "Fishermen would have a place to shelter during bad weather if facilities are built there." He added that the authorities could also turn Middle Rocks into a monitoring station to ensure that ships did not dump oil at sea. "Waste oils are discharged about three or four times a year and affect our livelihood. By having a monitoring station at the island, the authorities can respond better to such incidents."Last week, the Foreign Ministry said it would present plans to the cabinet on how to use Middle Rocks to make Malaysia's presence felt in the area. These include reclaiming land around the outcroppings to join the rocks together. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said Middle Rocks could host either a weather station or an observatory, research facilities or facilities for fishermen. However, Rais said any proposals to develop the island would have to be brought to the Malaysia-Singapore joint committee, which would have to be consulted over activities in the Pedra Branca area as well. © 2008 NST Online.

Japan-Australia Security Agreement by Park Ji Il
Every nation in the Western Pacific Rim knows what it is like to have a militaristic Japan living next door. Given the lessons of history, these same neighbors of Japan wish to see no alteration to contemporary Japanese military policy, except for maybe one: Australia. While Australia may not have borne the brunt of Japanese 20th century imperialism it certainly received its share of unprovoked wartime hostility, and yet some 60 years on the Australian prime minister has just signed off on a historic security agreement with his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, in Tokyo. This agreement, which is officially neither a treaty nor a defense pact, is focused on those aspects of national and regional security that the two nations think can be boosted bilaterally, such as counterterrorism, maritime security, peacekeeping efforts and stronger links in general between the two militaries. So how can this be that a nation once bombed and torpedoed by the then regional aggressor can so readily forgive and move forward in terms of joint security, while other, closer, more culturally similar nations cannot? How is it that Australia can embrace Japan for all its perceived good intentions while others, notably China and the two Koreas, cannot? Obviously, the Australian government can see something positive on the horizon for Japan's future. China and the Korean peninsula cannot. So there are two main points to address here. Why do Japan and Australia think that closer military ties are a good thing, and conversely, why does the rest of north Asia disagree? The first point regarding Japan and Australia's heightened military friendship should be the easier concept to understand, and, unsurprisingly, it involves the United States. It is no coincidence that this bilateral agreement, only the second in Japan's post-war history, mirrors the one drawn up by the Americans after the Japanese defeat in the Pacific theater of war six decades ago. While the Japanese were quick to shy away from the Australian government's initial proposal of a treaty, the political intent of this watered down document is clear. This agreement effectively tells the region that Japan and Australia trust each other more than any other nation bar the US, and that in order for both nations to feel secure they need to overtly support each other in terms of both media rhetoric and physical alliance. Hey everybody, guess what? There are terrorists out there, but for those of you in Japan and Australia don't worry, because your respective governments have combined forces to protect you, and they won't rest until every conflict in the known world is resolved. This is the spin both governments have invariably placed upon the agreement through the various media channels at their disposal, but even a blind man caught in a Gobi Desert sand storm can see the real, genuine intentions behind the deal, and it is much less to do with your day-to-day suicide bomber than you might think. Who is Japan trying to fool with such talk of terrorism and the tearing down of peaceful democracies from within? With such a homogenous society, Japan must be one of the safest places, if not the safest place in the world to live in terms of domestic disturbance. Australia, however, is a massive country vulnerable to the threat of invasion, with a tiny, by world standards, armed force, and with the actual threat of domestic terrorism rearing its ugly head. Given Japan's inexperience with matters of international terrorism, can it really offer Australia much help in this regard? Certainly, in terms of military infrastructure it can. Japanese defense forces are preparing to train on Australian soil; Australia's armed forces are set to benefit hugely in gaining experience with state-of-the-art military hardware and interaction with a highly technical and well-educated group of trained armed personnel. This type of knowledge provision is priceless to Australia's armed intelligence and together with the interaction with America Australia will be at its military peak as an effective force for engaging enemies of the state. Basically, this deal makes a lot of sense for Australia in terms of "on the ground" interaction, but for Japan this bilateral agreement is really about consolidating its US-led political edge within the region, the covert motive being to contain China. China's economy is growing faster than Kim Jong-Il's Hollywood movies DVD collection and the US and Japan are the ones set to lose most by a rampant Chinese business sector. Then comes the all too familiar threat of Chinese military dominance. Australia is still unsure where to tread on its path of China relations. Being such an important trade partner yet having such a disagreeable ideology means Australia has always got to handle its Beijing diplomacy ever so carefully. In other words, Australia's leading politicians have to convince China regularly that they are not "in bed with America," even if in reality they are at the very least "fluffing the pillows and helping to change the sheets." Japan on the other hand is indifferent. China is no less an important trading partner, but the island nation does not go out of its way to hide its massive allegiance to the US and all that entails. This is what makes China nervous. The bilateral agreement between Japan and Australia is really just a confirmation that the US is ever present on the Asian side of the Pacific. The three nations make a troika of free-trading, democratic and above all wealthy states that, like any aligned group, are largely interested in serving themselves. They may use flowery language to assuage north Asian concerns about overt attempts to contain a rampant China, but when the US laughably cries foul to the United Nations about Chinese human rights abuses, what they are really trying to say is "look how bad China treats its citizens, Beijing should be discouraged from seeking influence in world politics because they hate free speech and domestic criticism of their own government." It is just about America's only argument concerning why China is not necessarily a country worthy of seeking a greater role in global politics, despite all the obvious trade benefits. Washington is nervous, or at least the fortune tellers within the White House can see troubled times ahead as China looks to take a larger piece of the world's economic pie at the expense of the US. So while it is debatable whether any movers and shakers in the Bush administration urged Japan and Australia to reach this historic agreement, it is certainly an international commitment that they welcome with great anticipation, hoping that it will lead to an overarching program of general Chinese containment. China's reservations about this new agreement are rightly founded on their thoughts regarding US domination, but they also feel slighted, along with North and South Korea, by Japan's bold new step toward military normalization. Prime Minister Abe is the first Japanese prime minister born post-war, and he must be forgiven for wondering sometimes why it is that Japan is not allowed to have an armed force with the ability to bare its teeth at perceived wrongdoers while China and North Korea can maintain the world's first and fourth largest armed forces, respectively. There is nothing in those nations' constitutions that stops them from deciding to attack anyone at anytime. Of course, that concept as a rule is abhorrent but two wrongs do not make a right and the communist leaders of north Asia would do well to consider that unless they put on the public record their official refusal to fight on foreign soil then they should not expect Japan to be forced to keep this ridiculous aspect of its own constitution. In light of China's ever burgeoning economic boom and associated military investment, Japan's attempts to normalize its own military should be acceptable. Yes, in most recent history Japan was the aggressor; however, the future is a new game and Japan should not necessarily be at a disadvantage. Of course, the world would be better off with no arms races; however, like two kids squaring off in the schoolyard, neither wants to be seen as the weaker, and so Japan must be allowed to show it can match its diplomacy with an active fighting force. Do the people of China and Korea honestly believe that a reinstated military in Japan is going to lead to new imperialistic intentions? Japan is not going to invade another country as far as they remain in bed with the US and the ideals of free market globalization. To think otherwise would be unwarranted scaremongering and disappointing dogmatism, led of course by that wise and noble "hermit king" Kim Jong-Il, who seems to keep his own position secure by preaching to his body populace about the inherent evils of "imperialist Japan -- a concept with some merit in the post-war decades. If the average North Korean were allowed to observe and consider the Japan of today, they would be less persuaded by the Dear Leader's ranting. Interestingly enough, the Stalinist state seems to have been a major driving force behind the Japan-Australia proposition as it is the only nation, apart from the US, that is actually referred to in the documentation. Despite some analysts arguing the case that Japan can use a nuclear-armed North Korea as justification for military rejuvenation, the Diet expresses real concern at the DPRK ever-developing full-blown weapons of mass destruction. As "Leaders of the Free World" both prime ministers Abe and Howard were in complete agreement about resolving the North Korean issue and the whole region should be more concerned with "normalizing" North Korea than it is with a normalized Japanese Defense Force. Next on the list of nations offended by this deal is the Republic of Korea, the southern half of the Korean peninsula. In an interesting twist of modern history South Korea, like Japan, embraces America, and yet still feels uncomfortable with its eastern neighbor. Does Seoul have a problem with Japan as a rival industrialist competing in a "dog eat dog" world of capitalist domineering, or is it much simpler than that? From a neutral perspective it really does appear that the South Koreans would just like a genuine political and cross-cultural acknowledgement of wrongs past by Japan. Any credible text will reveal the type of sufferings that Korean people went through in the name of Japanese colonization, but Koreans should not forget that, although the numbers may be vastly less, Australian men and women also suffered horribly at the hands of the would-be imperialists. The notion of "comfort women" is common to older generations in both Australia and Korea so conceptually South Korea is not alone in feeling aggrieved in this matter. Also, the prisoner of war conditions that many Aussie Diggers went through is enough to churn any stomach and Australians have not forgotten this ill treatment. That is why this new bilateral arrangement received a small but outspoken barrage of criticism from some sections of the Australian community, notably the Returned and Services League, a body representing soldiers retired from active duty, especially from World War II. These men and women remain as agitated by Japan as many Koreans still are; however, the majority of Australians have accepted that history is done and dusty and that Japan is now invariably an ally by default. The two nations have that much in common that during Prime Minister Howard's 10-year tenure Japan had become his number one associate in the whole of Asia. As the Republic of Korea is striving to become a highly developed, technologically advanced, democratic society of free-will and social integrity, the kind exemplified by contemporary Japan and Australia, then surely now is the time to accept Japan as an out and out ally the way Australia is doing, and to remove the last thin veil of suspicion and resentment that the leaders in Seoul perpetuate. It is unfortunate that as yet Japan cannot see fit to make a concise and focused apology to the peoples of north Asia that still hurt from the last century's atrocities, but this should not be an inhibiting factor in accepting Japanese military normalization. By all means the concerned governments should continue pressing for an historic statement of regret from Tokyo, but only as a side issue to accepting Japan as a regional friend. It should not be held up as the all-encompassing reason for remaining hostile to or worried by the island nation. Did Japan and Australia enter into this agreement with the best intentions for the region or with the idea of shoring up their own agendas of US foreign policy alignment? The two leaders will certainly focus on the former, but the later must invariably be true, as the US agenda in north Asia is shared with its Japanese and Australian cohorts. While Australia and Japan are not yet obliged to come to each other's aid in the event of war, surely this political deal is just the first on a short path to full-scale amity, but at what cost to their respective relationships with China, and to a lesser extent with South Korea? Should it really be of any other nations concern what cooperative wheeling and dealing two avowed peaceful democracies practice with each other, if it is to the greater good of themselves and not to the detriment of anyone else? China will no doubt be keeping massive tabs on this heightened regional relationship, and the Japanese and Australian governments will have to work extra hard to assure their neighbors that nothing underhand or sinister is on the new partners' agenda, but economic ties are just too important to China for them to rebuke too strongly this modest allegiance between its number two trading partner, Japan, and a major source of its resource imports, Australia. China and the Korean peninsula will likely never warm to the idea of a normalized Japanese military, not least of all if Japan cannot do the decent thing and deliver a profound request for forgiveness, but like it or not the idea will become a reality before too many more history books have been authorized for publication. In that case they can choose to remain miserable in the face of Japan's world standing or take the sensible decision to cautiously accept that all nation states deserve the right to have militias of equal authority, even former wrong doers. If anything these nations should realize that the inclusion of Australia in Japan's military future is an assuring aspect to armed normalization, since Australia espouses a peaceful regional doctrine and provides a steady hand on the wheel as Japan looks to steer itself forward defensively. The developed world, with Japan at the forefront, has largely moved on from using force to obtain the goals of power and wealth. If north Asia is so anti-Japan then why have they embraced the business, trade and financial aspects of that nation? Japan is so heavily invested in their mainland neighbors that military force is completely and utterly out of the question. Global dominance is fought largely through the world's stock exchanges so while some nations will always feel aggrieved at world events, there should be little fear that a stable, highly developed, and economically secure nation like Japan will seek to shoot bullets at any potential investor or investment, and in this age of globalization that means anybody and everybody. So the final message to the Asia-Pacific region is to appreciate the concept of this new and progressive alliance, and not read into it thoughts of confrontation and future discomfort. Australia never has and never will initiate armed aggression against any other sovereign state, and it would never enter into such a meaningful relationship without feeling completely confident that its partner would portray the exact same sentiments. It is up to north Asia to accept or deny a new-look Japan but they will always maintain diplomatic relations either way, as you have to keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer. [Park Ji Il is the president of NPO "Answer Asia."] © 2008 OhmyNews.

Malaysia to increase marine patrols against fuel smugglers
Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia's marine officers are to intensify their efforts to curb fuel smuggling in the country's waters in the wake of surging global oil prices, the department chief said Monday. Officers would increase patrols and conduct raids on boats and vessels in local waters to nab those attempting to smuggle fuel, which is cheaper in Malaysia than in neighbouring countries because of a government subsidy, said Mohamad Amdan Kurish, the Maritime Enforcement Agency director general. 'The lower fuel price and high demand for it from neighbouring countries are the main factors it is smuggled out by both locals and foreigners,' he was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency. 'We will step up operations and surveillance, including inspecting every boat that passes through our waters.' Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Wednesday announced a 40-per-cent increase in gasoline prices to reduce the government's subsidy bill of at least 45 billion ringgit (14 billion dollars) this year. The price of petrol, which was raised to 2.70 ringgit per litre from 1.92 ringgit, remains cheaper than neighbouring Thailand and Singapore. © 2008 Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

Maritime agency stations unit at Pulau Pisang by Roslina Mohamad
Kuantan - The Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has stationed an intelligence unit at Pulau Pisang in Johor to curb smuggling activities including foreigners and goods from neighbouring countries. Its director-general Admiral Datuk Amdan Kurish said the unit would be working together with the agency to ensure that there are no such activities being carried out on the island. He added that the MMEA would also cooperate with intelligence units from other agencies and exchange information with counterparts as part of efforts to check that Pulau Pisang waters are not encroached. ``To date, smuggling activities detected on Pulau Pisang are not as serious as portrayed in the media recently. ``This is because the agency conducts patrols in the area at all times and as far as I know, Pulau Pisang is not used as a transit point for illegal foreigners nor for smuggling goods,'' he told reporters Monday after visiting the MMEA eastern regional office at Indera Mahkota here. Amdan was asked to comment on a news report which appeared in a Malay daily claiming that smuggling of illegal foreigners and goods from neighbouring countries in Pulau Pisang had been going on for the past 10 years. The activities were said to have occurred as there were no patrol boats from any enforcement agency making their rounds in the area especially at night. It was said to be a cause for concern, prompting calls from Pontian residents for a marine police base to be set up there. On this, Amdan said the marine police always monitor and make their rounds around the island. Amdan also said MMEA was waiting for the outcome of a discussion between Malaysia and Singapore on the borders of Batu Putih and Middle Rocks following a decision made by the International Court of Justice on May 23, he added. ``When there is certainty about the borders of the two islands, we will station our patrolling boats in the said area. ``Even now, MMEA has already set off its patrol ship to guard Middle Rocks,'' he said. © 1995-2008 Star Publications (M) Bhd.

New dimension to Middle Rocks
Putrajaya - Malaysia has plans to make its presence felt on Middle Rocks following the International Court of Justice’s decision that it had sovereignty over the two undersea boulders off Pedra Branca. The Foreign Ministry will present some of these plans to the cabinet today, and they include reclaiming land around the boulders to join the rocks together. Middle Rocks could host either a weather station or an observatory, research facilities, or facilities for fishermen, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim said yesterday. Any proposal, however, will have to be brought to the Malaysia-Singapore joint committee, which will have to be consulted over activities in the Pedra Branca area. The two boulders of Middle Rocks lie about 500 metres apart and are only visible at low tide. Middle Rocks is about 1.1km to the south of Pedra Branca, which the ICJ has awarded to Singapore. “We are convinced that with Middle Rocks in the hands of Malaysia, we can do various things for the future. The possibilities include joining the two rocks together, subject to government approval and feasibility studies. “We have to register our presence there through legal means,” Rais told reporters at the ministry. Malaysia is keen to show activity there now that the ICJ has granted it sovereignty of the marine feature. “There are a lot of benefits in joining the rocks but I can’t tell you specifically what. Definitely when you join two points, it will become something bigger,” he said when asked to elaborate on the proposal’s implications for Malaysia. He said the ministry’s technical committee in a follow up to the ICJ judgment had compiled information and data on Middle Rocks and its territorial waters, but will need to enlist further help from experts as to the kind of activities that can be undertaken there, and the exact boundary lines to mark the surrounding territory. The ownership of another marine feature, South Ledge, has yet to be fully determined, although, Rais said, it would seem that it lay in the territorial waters of Middle Rocks. “We need to map out the territorial area, vis-à-vis the distance from Middle Rocks to South Ledge. “According to the ICJ, South Ledge should be in the territorial waters of the state that owns it (the waters), and according to logical assumption, South Ledge could be in the territorial waters of Middle Rocks.” He said fishermen were still advised to stay away from Middle Rocks until the boundaries were finalised with Singapore. Rais has also requested Singapore for a date for the joint committee to meet. He said defining the territorial waters of Middle Rocks would take time because Malaysia had to consider the rights and views of Singapore as well. He said both countries agreed that neither should politicise the issue. Earlier, he presented a donation of RM4.3 million to China’s ambassador to Malaysia Cheng Yonghua for the snowstorm disaster in central and southern China in February. The money is from the government through the ministry, the Information Ministry, Sin Chew Jit Poh and Nanyang Press. He said the government was also sending tents, medical supplies and equipment to China for its earthquake victims. Rais also accepted a donation of RM50,000 from Yayasan Budi Penyayang’s chief executive officer Datuk Leela Mohd Ali. The funds are meant for the victims of Myanmar’s cyclone Nargis. © 2008 NST Online.

Petronas defers Sudan refinery project
Kuala Lumpur - Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) has deferred plans for its oil refinery project in Sudan due to rising costs, president and chief executive officer Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican said Monday. "The cost environment has gone up so much. When we look at the project at this point of time, we cannot justify its commercial viability because of the very high investment cost," he told reporters at the 13th Asia Oil & Gas Conference here. "So we have to defer for now. Like any other refinery projects around the world, we have to put it aside for now because of the cost of investment," he said. However, Mohd Hassan the industry was not putting aside projects per se. "The industry is spending a lot more money today to explore and to find new resources. International oil companies exploration budgets are on the increase. The national oil company is doing the same," he said. Mohd Hassan said all oil companies were spending in double-digit billions to source resources. "The industry in Malaysia, in upstream, is spending an average of about RM40 billion a year to explore new resources. This is a huge amount of spending in the Malaysian economy. In fact, 90 percent of upstream activities is Malaysian-based," he said. On Indonesias Natuna-D Alpha natural gas block, Mohd Hassan said Petronas has the capability to invest in the project. "If we dont have resources, we wont invest," he said, adding that "it is not a secret" that Petronas is interested in the project. However, he also said that this depended on whether the Indonesian government was looking for partners. Petronas has now joined a list of companies trying to develop the block, which is reported to have the biggest gas field in Southeast Asia with 1.2 trillion cubic metres of recoverable gas reserves. Other oil companies interested include Royal-Dutch Shell, Norway-based StatOil and PetroChina. Interest in the block grew after the government decided to give state oil and gas firm PT Pertamina a chance to take over Natuna from US oil giant ExxonMobil following a dispute over the company's contract extension on the block. On the maritime dispute with Brunei which is close to large gas reserves, Mohd Hassan said that "the talks are still at the Foreign Ministry level". Both countries have reached a tentative agreement to end a maritime border dispute that halted oil exploration for almost five years and this development could lead to a resumption of oil exploration activities. On another development, Mohd Hassan said Petronas was taking a step-by-step approach to expand within the Australian offshore, adding that any opportunity arising would be considered. The national oil company announced on May 29 that it had acquired a 40 percent stake in a proposed integrated liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Gladstone, Queensland, for about US$2.5 billion from Santos Ltd of Australia. The 60:40 joint venture company will be set up to develop and operate a gas liquefaction facility at Gladstone with an initial one-train capacity of three million tonnes per annum, Petronas said. The new entity will also build and operate a 450-kilometre pipeline from jointly-owned upstream coal seam gas (assets to the project site, as well as undertake all marketing activities for the projects LNG output. © 2008 BERNAMA.

Singapore, Malaysia to set up sub-committee to oversee joint survey of island
Singapore - Singapore and Malaysia will set up a technical sub-committee to help in the implementation of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment on a tiny but strategic uninhabited island Pedra Branca and its other rocky outcrop, said a joint statement on Friday. Foreign officials of both countries met on Tuesday and agreed to set up the sub-committee to oversee joint survey works to prepare for eventual talks on maritime issues in and around that area, said the statement. They also agreed that if an incident occurs, humanitarian assistance will be provided by either side, as part of a common aim to ensure safety and security in those waters. The joint committee representing the two countries also agreed that fishermen on both sides will be allowed to continue with their traditional fishing activities there. Both sides reiterated their commitment to honor and abide by the ICJ's judgment, and fully implement its decisions. The two delegations were led by the Secretary-General of the Malaysian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Rastam Mohd Isa, and Permanent Secretary of Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Peter Ho. On May 23, the ICJ awarded Singapore sovereignty over the uninhabited island Pedra Branca, concluding a 28-year sovereignty dispute with neighboring Malaysia. It also awarded ownership of Middle Rocks to Malaysia, while left the issue of South Ledge open, saying that it should belong to the state in the territorial waters of which it is located. © 2008 Xinhua News Agency.

Tanjung Offshore to order vessels from Muhibbah by Jose Barrock
Kuala Lumpur - Oil and gas support services provider Tanjung Offshore Bhd is about to sign a contract with Muhibbah Engineering (M) Bhd for the latter to build and supply two anchor-handling tugs (AHTS) valued at RM100 million. If all goes well, the contract could even be inked as early as today, with an announcement to Bursa Malaysia made in due course, industry sources say. The contract is likely to be for two 5,500 brake horse power (bhp) vessels, which will be built by Muhibbah Engineering’s wholly owned unit, Muhibbah Marine Engineering Sdn Bhd. The latter builds ships of such specifications in its yard in Port Klang. The two AHTS will add to Tanjung Offshore’s existing fleet of seven ships. These, however, exclude the delivery of five other vessels, including three AHTS and a tug utility vessel, which Tanjung Offshore is currently anticipating. Tanjung Offshore aims to add five new vessels this year alone to meet its fleet expansion plan. The company is trying to get more charter contracts from oil majors in view of the increasing oil and gas exploration activities spurred by the current high oil prices. It is not known if Tanjung Offshore has already secured charter contracts for the vessels that are currently being built, or if the company is waiting for a possible increase in charter rates in the near term before chartering the ships out to oil majors. The benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Index has gained by about 28% year to date and is testing the US$130 (RM422.50) per barrel range. This has encouraged oil majors to rush their exploration and production works, thus benefiting companies such as Tanjung Offshore. The higher charter rates have boosted Tanjung Offshore’s bottom line. For the first quarter ended March this year, the company raked in RM5.6 million in net profits on the back of RM92.8 million in revenue. The quarter’s profit showed an increase of 37% compared to the previous corresponding period. Tanjung Offshore ended seven sen lower yesterday at RM2.31. Muhibbah Engineering, meanwhile, closed five sen lower at RM2.28. © 2006 The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd.

UN resolution to combat Somalia piracy set for approval
United Nations - The UN Security Council was set Monday to adopt a resolution empowering states to send warships into Somalia's territorial waters with the government's consent to combat piracy and armed robbery at sea. The French-US text, under discussion since late April and amended at the request of Indonesia, was expected to receive unanimous support from the council's 15 members later in the day, according to diplomats traveling in east Africa as part of a council delegation. The agreement came after the sponsors reached a compromise with Indonesia last Friday ensuring that the anti-piracy drive would specifically target lawless Somalia. Indonesia had raised concerns that measures adopted to tackle piracy off the Somali coast should not set a precedent for international intervention in its own piracy-prone waters. The waters off Somalia -- which has not had an effective central government for more than 17 years and is plagued by insecurity -- are considered to be among the most dangerous in the world. The draft would give a six-month mandate to states cooperating with Somalia's transitional government (TFG) in fighting piracy to "enter the territorial waters of Somalia for the purposes of repressing acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea." The states must do so "in a manner consistent with such action permitted on the high seas with respect to piracy under relevant international law," it added, while the TFG must provide advance notification of such action to the UN secretary general. The draft also urges states whose naval vessels and military aircraft operate on the high seas and in airspace off the coast of Somalia "to increase and coordinate their efforts to deter acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea in cooperation with the TFG." It also calls on them to cooperate with interested organizations, including the International Maritime Organization, to ensure that "vessels entitled to fly their flag receive appropriate guidance and training on avoidance, evasion, and defensive techniques and to avoid the area whenever possible." The text, which cites Chapter Seven of the UN Charter invoked in cases of threats to international peace and security, also urges all states "to render assistance to vessels threatened by or under attack by pirates or armed robbers, in accordance with relevant international law." The French-US initiative, co-sponsored by Panama, condemns and deplores all acts of piracy and armed robbery against vessels in territorial waters and the high seas off the coast of Somalia. And it asks United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon to report within five months of adoption of the text on implementation of the resolution. Dozens of ships, mainly merchant vessels, have been hijacked for ransom off the Somali coast over the past year. Somalia juts out into the Indian Ocean and commands access to the Red Sea, a key global trade route sailed by thousands of ships each year. On April 4, pirates seized a French luxury yacht off Somalia and held its 30-person crew hostage for a week. French forces subsequently went into pursuit of suspected pirates on Somali soil and arrested six of them for trial in a Paris court. The move set a precedent in combating piracy and was welcomed by the Somali government. Also in April, a Spanish trawler was seized by pirates off the Somali coast but was freed six days later. The Spanish government denied that it paid a 1.2-million-dollar ransom to secure the crew's release. The Strait of Malacca, another key global maritime trade route which divides Malaysia and Indonesia, has witnessed scores of piracy attacks in recent years although joint patrols have slashed the number of attacks of late. © 2008 AFP.

U.S. allots $15.5 mln to tighten Philippine border by Manny Mogato
Manila - Washington has agreed to provide $15.5 million to help the Philippines guard its southern maritime borders against pirates, smugglers and Muslim militants, documents showed on Tuesday. According to a Philippine military report seen by Reuters, the U.S. Department of Defense will fund a navy plan to acquire and install a network of high-frequency radio communications equipment for the southern region of the archipelago. The Sulu and the Celebes seas, which separate the Philippines from Malaysia and Indonesia, contain busy shipping lanes and fishing areas but are also infested by pirate gangs and Muslim radicals. Washington has also agreed to train, equip and help build up the Philippine military's naval defence capability under its 2007 National Defence Authorisation Act. About $4.4 million of the funds would be used to upgrade ageing UH-1H helicopters. Since 2002, the United States, Manila's closest security ally, has deployed hundreds of its troops to help train and advise Filipino soldiers to fight Muslim rebels. During the same period, the United States also provided about $500 million for military assistance and development projects to win over the Muslim minority in the mainly Catholic country. A senior official at the Philippines' Department of National Defence told Reuters the United States was also helping Malaysia and Indonesia, both Muslim-majority nations, set up similar maritime border security programmes to prevent Islamic militants from gaining access to these waters. Washington has allocated about $60 million under its section 1206 of the National Defence Authorisation Act in the fiscal year 2007 to help the three Southeast Asian states tighten their borders against movements of weapons, contraband and militants.
CHINA CONCERNS
The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, did not refer to the maritime border project when he met senior Philippine armed forces officials this week although he was briefed on anti-militant operations in the south. Washington was more concerned about the regional security situation and China's military build-up and its growing political and economic influence in this part of the world, said a navy official who was privy to Mullen's meetings in Manila. Rear Admiral Tyrone Pile, commander of Canada's naval fleet in the Pacific, told reporters that Canada was interested in taking part in maritime security exercises in the Asia-Pacific. "Our intention is to increase our presence and frequency in the Asia-Pacific region," Pile said on Tuesday, after addressing students at a defence college in the main army base in Manila. He said Canada would like to take part in existing exercises and training engagements in the region. Pile said the security of the Philippines was important to Canada because the country lies along maritime and oil routes from the Middle East to the Pacific and to North America. © Thomson Reuters 2008.

US seeks to ‘lead from the middle’ by Richard Halloran
It’s called “leading from the middle” and is a concept that’s catching on as the US repositions its military forces in the Pacific and Asia to meet the threats of the 21st century. For years, the US has been “leading from the front,” a time-honored military principle: taking charge of alliances, coalitions and partnerships. That has spawned allegations, especially during the administration of US President George W. Bush, that the US was “unilateral” in its approach to security. Today, the US is seeking more often to lead from the middle, relinquishing the role of leader to an ally or partner and easing US forces into supporting positions. Under this concept, US military leaders look for opportunities in which allies take charge while the US assumes a backup and reinforcing role. For example, the US is gradually turning over to South Koreans the responsibility for defending their nation, with forces there pulling back into supporting positions. In the Straits of Malacca on the western end of the South China Sea, the US has urged Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia to take the lead in securing the strait against pirates and terrorists. Those nations have been able, through coordinated air and sea patrols, to reduce piracy. The US is equipping five to 10 radar sites each in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines to help track ships. US special operations forces have been assisting the armed forces of the Philippines in the southern reaches of the country to battle Abu Sayyaf terrorists. Philippine and US leaders insist that Filipinos are doing the fighting while Americans are advising.
MARITIME STRATEGY
The US Navy’s maritime strategy, drawn up under Admiral Michael Mullen when he was chief of naval operations, includes a provision similar to leading from the middle. It calls for “expanded cooperative relationships” in the “maritime domain for the benefit of all.” In particular, the strategy says: “Although our forces can surge when necessary to respond to crises, trust and cooperation cannot be surged. They must be built over time.” Mullen, who is now chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was traveling this week to Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and Korea where he was expected to discuss the US’ supporting role in security. The concept of Asian nations taking the lead in security, although just being put into practice, is rooted in the Nixon or Guam Doctrine. Former US president Richard Nixon, during a stopover in Guam in 1969, said the US would “furnish military and economic assistance when requested” to Asian nations under attack but that the US would “look to the nation directly threatened to assume the primary responsibility” for its defense. Japan was an early collaborator, gradually taking over responsibility for its self-defense in the 1970s. Former Japanese prime minister Zenko Suzuki announced in 1981 that Japan would defend its sea lanes out to 1,600km. When the UN sent a peacekeeping mission to East Timor in 1999, Australians took control of the operation while the US supported it with aircraft, communications and supplies.
‘YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD’
Two years ago, US Admiral William Fallon, then commander of the Pacific Command, was in Medan, Indonesia, to discuss security in the Straits of Malacca with Indonesian naval and police officers. After an initial briefing, an Indonesian officer said somewhat diffidently, “Admiral, we really don’t know why you are here. This is our problem and, with our neighbors in Singapore and Malaysia; we can take care of it.” From the look on his face and the tone of his voice, Fallon was clearly pleased. “It’s your neighborhood,” he replied, “and you should do it yourselves. If we can help, please let me know.” [Richard Halloran is a writer base in Hawaii]. © 1999-2008 The Taipei Times.

Fears of Singapore staking a claim by Satiman Jamin
Johor Baru - Pulau Merambong, a 0.3ha uninhabited island about three kilometres from Tanjung Kupang in Gelang Patah, was virtually unknown until neglected islands in Johor waters became a hot topic in the aftermath of the International Court of Justice decision on Pedra Banca. The fear that Pulau Merambong could become another contentious point with Singapore stems from its proximity to the republic, being about 1.6km from the reclaimed area of Tuas. Tales of Gelang Patah fishermen harassed by Singapore marine police near Pulau Merambong are not uncommon. That further stoke fears that the marine police's show of authority could be a prelude to Singapore laying a claim to the island later, as was the case of Pedra Banca. Most of the fishermen in Kampung Pendas Laut, Kampung Ladang Hujung and Kampung Tanjung Adang have long questioned the actions of Singapore marine police in Malaysian waters. Kampung Ladang Hujung Fishermen Club chairman Abdul Rahman Salleh, 56, said his boat almost capsized after being side-swiped by a Singapore marine police vessel. "We were well in Malaysian waters when they came alongside our boat and told us to move out of the area. "I refused to budge and pointed out that they were the ones who should leave the area as they were trespassing." Abdul Rahman said the Singapore vessel then made a sudden turn which almost caused his boat to capsize. The incident occurred 10 years ago but the harassment has not stopped as other fishermen have told him of their experience with the Singapore marine police. For a small island, Pulau Merambong has three beaches - sandy, rocky and mangrove. Although marine life is not as abundant as it used to be, the rare kilah or noble volute (Cymbiola nobilis) and some starfish can be found during low tide. The kilah's sweet flesh and patterned shell are highly sought after. It is said that seahorses and dugong used to thrive in the waters, but sightings of the creatures are rare nowadays. A newly-painted lighthouse stands at the southeastern tip of the island. Malaysian and Johor flags perched on the tower are the only visible evidence of our country's sovereignty over the island. Further inland, a Muslim graveyard dominates the small plains at a foothill. Fisherman Mohd Khairul Anwar Abdul Rahman, 23, said decades ago, the folk of Gelang Patah would bury their dead on Merambong as the mainland's wild animals could dig up bodies from the graves. The graveyard is unsafe for the barefooted as the flat, thorny seeds of the sepetir tree carpet the ground. Sepetir (Sindora siamensis) is in the list of threatened species of the International Union of the Conservation of Nature in 2006. On the hilltop, there are two more graves under a zinc-roof shed. The kettles and water containers in the shed suggest that people had stayed there before. Behind the hilltop graves, more than five large holes are found in the wooded area, whose origins are linked to stories of people digging for treasures left by pirates. Only the sandy and mangrove beaches are accessible from the hilltop. The steep cliff with jagged rocks and mossy slippery boulders is a natural barrier to the rocky beach. The rocky beach can be divided into three areas: the rocks and boulders underneath the cliff; the wide expanse of terraced ridges of jagged rocks; and an area of stones and pebbles carved by waves. Snails, crabs and bivalves live in the cracks and in between rocks, only visible during low tides. The sandy beach is made up of tiny granules of pulverised rocks, the result of waves pummelling the rocky beach next to it. Thus, the sand has the same reddish brown colour as the rocks. A few metres from the lighthouse, at the edge of the sandy beach, rambong shrubs abound. It could have been the namesake of the island. After dark, the blinking light from the tower is dwarfed by the smokestacks of a power station in the reclaimed shores of Tuas, while the lights on the Second Link are just mere dots on the horizon. © 2008 NST Online.

Freedom of the seas: key to security, economic prosperity
The destruction of seven LTTE arms smuggling vessels in the high seas within a span of one year by the Sri Lankan Navy was not only admired and appreciated locally but also by the other Navies operating across the globe. The initiative taken by the Sri Lanka Navy braving the high seas with limited Naval capabilities in search of floating Tiger warehouses has brought international fame to the country in its fight against terrorism and contributed immensely to the global war against terrorism. It was due to this historic achievement by the Sri Lankan Navy that the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda was among 11 chiefs of the world's leading Navies to address Europe's leading annual naval forum held under the title, 'Future Naval Plans and Requirements Conference 2008' in the United Kingdom from May 20 to 21, 2008.
Offensive action
The international Navies consider Sri Lanka Navy as the only Navy engaged in offensive action in the world at present, Vice Admiral Karannagoda says while sharing his experiences from the conference with the Daily News. "Many Naval officials at the conference were inquisitive to know how Sri Lanka Navy tackles asymmetric warfare and Tiger suicide boats in our bid to control LTTE terror campaign," he recalled. In his presentation titled 'Role of Sri Lanka Navy in the local and global context with emphasis on future strategies', Navy Commander Karannagoda stressed that the role of the Sri Lanka Navy, in this increasingly interdependent and globalised world, will be as much dictated by internal requirements as it will be by the compulsions of the outside world. He emphasised that Sri Lanka Navy needs to play its military role on two planes. "Firstly, against the threat to sovereignty and territorial integrity posed by non-State actors and secondly, protecting its national interests when conflicting national interests bring Sri Lanka head on against another nation state." "Sri Lanka Navy has been very successfully playing the first role for the past quarter of a century and developed very specific expertise in this kind of warfare. It needs to continue honing its capability and skills to defeat this threat decisively.
Capability
On the second plane, the size of Sri Lanka precludes developing specific naval capability to confront any major power and any attempt to do so would be self defeating due to the disproportionate economic penalty of such an endeavour. Therefore, the military role on this plane would need to be fulfilled by collaboration and alliance rather than denial, dominance and outright confrontation. In fact the role played by the Sri Lanka Navy for this purpose is actually more in the realm of a politico- diplomatic role rather than that of a military one," Vice Admiral Karannagoda explained in his presentation. According to Vice Admiral Karannagoda his views on maritime terrorism during his presentation were widely welcomed by the participants. He made his presentation based on the first hand experience the Navy had when tackling the LTTE Sea Tiger Wing. The LTTE is believed to be the only terror outfit having Naval capabilities.
Freedom
"The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have used the sea for transport and to attack merchant shipping including local fishing trawlers, off the coast of Sri Lanka over the last 20 years. The organisation has its own 'Black Sea Tiger' unit which operates on the doctrine of the 'Wolf Pack' which we now term 'Swarm' using high speed small combat craft. The craft the terrorists use are of varied configuration depending on the mission and are quite potent when operating in a pack. They have also designed stealth craft which are used for covert intrusion and suicide missions. The group has also resorted to using commercially off the shelf (COTS) underwater equipment and vehicles to attack shipping in harbour as well as on fixed route passages. The LTTE is also the only known terrorist organization to own and operate a fleet of deep sea going ships used for the transport of large quantities of explosives, arms, ammunition and other warlike materials for themselves and other terrorist groups in the region. These ships fly flags of convenience and use the freedom of the seas to go about their deadly business. We cannot rule out the possibility of these rogue ships carrying cargoes of lethal chemicals, a "dirty bomb" or just high explosive material to be used as a catastrophic weapon at any port they choose.
Underwater
Having said that, the Sri Lanka Navy could identify these floating warehouses and interdict seven of them, drawing the attention of the leading Navies that, that the lethal cargo being carried was not destined merely for Sri Lanka and had they been successful in their mission many innocent civilians somewhere in the world would have paid with their lives. He cited several examples in which the Sri Lanka Navy thwarted attempts of the LTTE to attack the Colombo Port in 1995. "They used both surface craft disguised as fishing vessels and underwater saboteurs to target a liquid gas carrier which was alongside. This attack was fortunately thwarted due to the high state of preparedness." If this plan had succeeded, there would have been total devastation within a radius of one mile and collateral damage extending to nearly two miles." The Navy Commander says during the question and answer session it was very clear that the participants were very keen to learn from our experiences in asymmetric warfare and how we tackled the LTTE suicide boat attacks. Drawing parallels with the attack on USS Cole at Aden, the attack on the US warships at Jordan and the French tanker Limburg as examples, the Navy Commander pointed out that there is a similarity in the modus operandi of the terrorist groups that masterminded those attacks and the style of the LTTE. "The connection cannot be ruled out and it is a fact that the LTTE presents the other terrorist organisations with a source to plagiarize its knowledge for maritime terrorism." He pointed out that the Al-Qaeda network too is believed to have purchased at least 15 ships in the last few years to be used in the same fashion as the LTTE to be involved in gunrunning. They are also used as safehouses for terrorists on the run. One of the highlighting factors of his presentation was his remarks on the emerging threat on maritime security. "There is no doubt that in recent years maritime terrorism has appeared as a very real threat and what I have briefly elaborated on proves the point. There have been some notable attacks but we have been fortunate in that a concerted and sustained attack on the lifeblood of the global economy has not yet materialized.
Threats
Threats that have emerged today are mainly from non-State actors involved in terrorism, transnational or otherwise, international crime, insurgencies, including separatists and fanatics be they ethnic or religious. Battling these threats was once considered low intensity warfare but is this true in today's security environment ? If we are to be realistic, global security will have to recognise, understand and define this threat in order to successfully combat it or chaos will follow. Conventional forces that are controlled and disciplined will always be at a disadvantage in this battlefield as they are limited in their actions and not prepared or trained to react to the threat.
Modern forces
As a result modern forces need to think outside the box and begin to train, estimate and fight differently. As a matter of fact a radical shift in the surface warfare thought process may be necessary to fight effectively in this age of asymmetric warfare. The Navy Commander emphasised the fact that Navies focus on combat on the high seas which has been confined to state actors whose conduct of war is regulated through accepted norms of international law. "Here traditional law dealing with maritime affairs has been designed to regulate actions recognising states as the primary actors. The threat from non-State actors and terrorism has not been anticipated and no provision has been made in this context which in actual fact makes the law seem obsolete. The only non-State actor considered is a pirate and it also leaves us with the question does the global war on terrorism give states the right to act otherwise?.
New threshold
"We have already crossed a new threshold in this age of terrorism that necessitates a fresh look at the legal dimension in re-appreciating the law to combat maritime terrorism in the present day and age," the Navy Commander stressed. This will enable states to issue practical and unambiguous roles to our mission commanders simultaneously restricting the terrorist in his sphere of manoeuvre. Elaborating the Sri Lankan experience in combatting terrorism the Navy Commander pointed out that the Sri Lanka Navy in its effort to shape up its capacity to face the emerging threat from terrorism over the last two decades has been transformed from a small ceremonial unit to a fully fledged compact fighting force.
Threat at sea
"It is probably the only Navy at present that faces a continuous active terrorist threat at sea. The threat it faces is mainly in the littoral but does extend into the deep sea at times. The fighting is high intensity, with the threat mainly being multiple swarm attacks including explosive laden suicide craft. We face an innovative and ruthless enemy who when cornered will not hesitate in using desperate means to achieve his ends. The battle space environment that my Navy faces is dynamic, high speed, dangerous and unpredictable. However the Sri Lanka Navy is a battle hardened force which has a cadre of over 50 per cent who have been involved in active combat operations both on land and sea. This experience doubtless gives us the edge in predicting the future battle environment, particularly in the littoral and of the asymmetrical kind. We have to think differently, train differently and fight differently. The secret of asymmetric warfare is delivering an unconventional response. To meet this end forces need to transform in the way they train, plan and fight. We may not need to develop new equipment, but we need to have the right attitude and use the right equipment efficiently.
Missions
Traditional Naval missions tasks will continue to exist, but the edge will be with those capable of meeting the unexpected by preparing for it. "We have to train our young officers and planners to empathize with our opponents in countering threats even before they are encountered- this is the way ahead," he pointed out in his presentation. "Today's asymmetric warfare shifts warfare into a higher gear but also into a more human domain. This paradox arises from the fact that warfare today is shifting away from the machine to the more human on human domain. For example the suicide cadre can emerge from any dimension. Machines will continue to find it difficult to cope with this threat and only human on human will bring about results. "We have to understand that the terrorist willing to die for a cause, motivated by radicalism, brainwashing and religious fervour, will match against training, physical strength, mental awareness and morale of our troops. Of course our machines and platforms will aid us but it will ultimately be the quality of the man who matches the threat." For small combatant platforms operating in shallow waters, speed, stealth and manoeuvrability means survivability. Good sensors and a high rate of firing weapons that can acquire and target small stealthy craft affectively will emerge victors. Fast attack craft including inshore patrol craft will have to operate together in numbers and dilute the enemies' swarm. The Navy will have to foster a new breed of surface warfare fighter who will take the initiative and be aggressive and daring. Naval officers and men will have to form special operation units for this is type of engagement and work in an environment similar to Special Operation Forces. Officers and men need to be trained to act on instinct and be capable of profiling enemy craft that lurk within fishing fleets and pleasure craft, and they will have to take certain tactical risks to be successful and maintain the initiative. Unfortunately there will be losses but we will need to invest our time on training our crews to survive by giving them the best survival training and equipment.
Concept craft
Of course the design of a concept craft which will be survivable, fast, manoeuvrable and stealthy with the necessary punch will be on our future agenda. Upgrading of necessary weapon systems, sensors and equipment will be necessary with the old being phased out. We will encourage and strive for international maritime Co-operation with Friendly Navies. Regional, Bilateral and multi lateral agreements and exercises will build confidence and understanding between Forces. The 1000 ship navy concept appeals to countries such as ours, as it means we will all have a part to play maintaining global maritime security regardless of size. Navies such as ours with years of battle experience in the littoral have a unparalleled experience in this area and are capable of disseminating that particular core competence to the rest of the maritime community by providing resource personal and training in the field. Carl von Clousewitz whose thought yet influences the battle space environment and will continue to do so in the future too puts it very simply , and I quote Everything in war is very simple, but the simplest thing is very difficult The way ahead will not be a cakewalk and the challenges that the future will pitch at us will not be easy. Only timely and proper preparation will ensure success.
Maritime security
In his concluding remarks, the Navy Commander remarked that the security and economic prosperity of nations is utterly dependent on ensuring that the freedom of the seas is maintained and this will continue to be the case as globalisation continues. To ensure maritime security and stability, it is very clear to me that maritime security should be a cohesive effort that requires an international solution for it has altered the dynamics of security paradigms worldwide. Ultimately, the defence of international maritime assets and trade will be the shield created by global cohesive action, which will ensure that the maritime dimension will never be used to threaten mankind". © 2008 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

Island not a haven for smugglers
Kuantan - Pulau Pisang, off the west coast of Pontian, Johor, is not a transit point for smuggling activities and illegal immigrants, says the coastguard. Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director-general Admiral Datuk Mohd Amdan Kurish said it was inaccurate to label the island a hot spot for smuggling activities. "Continuous surveillance and close co-operation among the enforcement agencies have enabled us to curb such activities," he said after visiting the MMEA headquarters for the eastern region here yesterday. Some people have raised concerns that Pulau Pisang, which has a lighthouse operated by Singapore, had been a transit point for smugglers bringing contraband items and foreign workers into the country. Mohd Amdan said information from the MMEA's intelligence unit and other agencies showed that the smuggling activities were not as rampant as reported by a Malay-language newspaper recently. He also said that the agency would continue patrolling the Johor waters including the areas near the Middle Rocks and South Ledge. On areas near Pedra Branca, he said the agency would wait for the Malaysian and Singaporean governments to decide on the delineation of the new boundaries before it could resume its patrolling there. Mohd Amdan also said that the agency would double the number of its assets, particularly patrol vessels and helicopters, in the next few years. At present, he said the agency had 111 vessels, including 50 ships that are more than 20 metres long, and three helicopters. "Most of our vessels are quite old as we got them from other agencies. We need modern ones to ensure better enforcement," he said. Mohd Amdan was appointed MMEA director-general on May 5. He was the Royal Malaysian Navy's fleet commander prior to this. © 2008 NST Online.

Pulau Merambong waters a "prohibited area" for local fishermen
Johor Baru - The area around Pulau Merambong, once a fertile fishing ground for Gelang Patah fishermen, are no longer so following actions by patrol boats from a neighbouring country. They said even though Pulau Merambong is located within the Malaysian maritime border, the authorities from the neighbouring country had been stopping them from fishing there, especially at night. "Even though we know that we are inside the Malaysian water, based on the buoy markers, they will still chase us away, claiming that we are going too close to their border," a fisherman from Kampung Pendas Laut, Mohd Rosli Abu, 58, told Bernama Monday. He claimed that personnel onboard the patrol boats had, on many occasions, asked that he produced his identification card when they saw him fishing at night near Pulau Merambong. Mohd Rosli said the personnel onboard the boats claimed that they wanted to check whether he had crime records, before returning the card to him. "Sometimes they maneuver the patrol boats too fast near my boat, almost capsizing due to the waves they created," he said, adding that the move was part of the effort to chase him away. The unoccupied Pulau Merambong, located near the Malaysia-Singapore border, is 10 minutes by boat from Tuas in Singapore and about 30 minutes from Gelang Patah in Johor. Another fisherman, Tarmizi Jailani, 46, said the aggressive actions by the patrol boats from the neighbouring country had caused the fishermen to shun away from the fertile fishing ground. "By 7pm the fishermen will already begin to leave the area as they are worried of being harassed by those patrol boats," he said. Nusajaya state assemblyman Datuk Abdul Aziz Sapian urged the Malaysian authorities to conduct more patrol around Pulau Merambong. "We receive numerous reports of fishermen being harassed by patrol boats from the neighbouring country even though they are fishing within the Malaysian waters," he said. The Malaysian government should develop the island, he said, adding that it was strategically located at the centre of shipping route to the Port of Tanjung Pelepas, Tanjung Bin power generation plant and Asia Petroleum Hub, as well as to Singapore's Tuas industrial area. © 2008 BERNAMA.

Sea piracy's bloody growth by William Pentland
On April 4, 2008, the luxury French yacht Le Ponant was crossing the Gulf of Aden between Yemen and Somalia when a swarm of speed boats surrounded the 32-cabin, three-masted vessel. A band of Somali pirates stormed the yacht, hijacking the vessel and taking all 30 of its crewmembers hostage. A week of intense negotiations followed, ending with the release of the hostages to French military officials on April 11 in exchange for an undisclosed ransom. Shortly after the exchange, a team of French commandos tracked the pirates to a remote location in the Puntland, a breakaway region in northern Somalia. The commandos overtook them on an open stretch of desert road, attacking from helicopters and capturing six of them. Somalia is only the latest hot spot in a worldwide renaissance of sea piracy that began a decade ago. The growth of global commerce in the past two decades crowded the oceans with cargo vessels, dry-bulk carriers and supertankers loaded with every good imaginable. The world currently transports 80% of all international freight by sea. More than 10 million cargo containers are moving across the world's oceans at any one time. The heavy ocean traffic (and its cargo) spawned a surge in sea piracy and a new breed of pirates, the bloodiest the world has seen. More than 2,400 acts of piracy were reported around the world between 2000 and 2006, roughly twice the number reported for the preceding six-year period. Although pirate attacks have at least tripled during that time period, the actual number of attacks remains unclear. Shipping companies frequently do not report attacks out of concern that it could increase insurance premiums. And nearly every group of government monitoring sea piracy believes that number is seriously undercounted. The Australian government estimates the actual number of piracy attacks is 2,000% higher. Piracy is estimated to cost between $13 and $16 billion every year and could cost substantially more in coming years. "Piracy is not going away," says Peter Chalk, an international security analyst at the RAND Institute. "In fact, its getting more serious and more violent, and its only a matter of time before you need to take it more seriously." That's starting to happen. The potential of a disastrous environmental spill resulting from an attack finally forced the international community to clamp down on sea piracy. International law allows any government vessel to repress an act of piracy in international waters. On October 30, 2007, two American destroyers, the USS Porter and the USS Arleigh Burke, attacked and sank two Somali pirate vessels after the pirates captured the Japanese tanker, Golden Mori. Last week, the U.N. Security Council voted in favor of a new measure that would allow the U.S. military to engage Somalian sea pirates. But Somalia is not the only place with piracy outfits this organized. Somalia is a relative latecomer to contemporary sea piracy. Since 2000, southeast Asia has had the most dangerous waters in the world. Malaysia and the islands of the Indonesian archipelago have seen the lion's share of sea piracy since 2000. Also troubling: the waters off Nigeria and Iraq. Unlike the pirates of yesteryear, contemporary sea piracy is frequently carried out by highly sophisticated criminal organizations made up of seasoned fighters and equipped with speedboats, satellite phones and global positioning systems. Recently captured Somali pirates claim they belonged to an organized militia that engaged in piracy to raise funds. Organizations have started attacking from more than one ship simultaneously using a number of quasi-military tactics. Violence has become an endemic feature of privacy, particularly over the last five to 10 years. The birth of the illicit global arms trade that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 made it easier for many (who might feel less inclined to pursue piracy if they lacked guns) to become pirates, according to Chalk. The arms trade has made cheap and powerful weapons available in many parts of the world. Five to six years ago, when pirates attacked, they used machetes, knives and pistols. "Today," says Noel Choong, the current director of the International Maritime Bureau's anti-piracy office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. "They come equipped with AK-47s, M-16s, rifle grenades and [rocket-propelled grenades]." This not only poses an enormous risk in terms of human security, but also endangers maritime security. Attacked ships can be left unmanned, turning into rogue vessels. "In many maritime chokepoints where attacks often occur, this creates a serious risk of a collision," says Chalk. "The truth is that modern piracy ... is a violent, bloody, ruthless practice," said Captain Jayant Abhyankar, Deputy Director of the International Maritime Bureau at a conference in Singapore, "made the more fearsome by the knowledge on the part of the victims that they are on their own and absolutely defenseless and that no help is waiting just round the corner." © 2008 Forbes.com LLC™.

Australia and Indonesia: Inseparable partners by Kevin Rudd
Jakarta (17 June 2008) - It has been a remarkable decade for Indonesia. Few countries have been through so much in such a short period of time -- the Asian Financial Crisis, the transition to democracy, terrorist attacks and the terrible tsunami of December 2004.What is remarkable is that Indonesia has not just come through these changes, it has triumphed. The variety of voices in the public debate in Indonesia and the vibrancy of the media are testament to the depth of the democratic roots that have been laid. Indonesia's economy is growing at around 6 percent. And Indonesia has been at the forefront of the international fight against terrorism. Not only that, Indonesia has also strengthened its regional and global leadership role at the same time -- particularly under the leadership of President Yudhoyono and particularly with Indonesia hosting last year's critical meeting of the UN Climate Change conference. So, before I begin, I want to acknowledge and put on record that the Australian Government admires what the Indonesian Government has achieved in the past decade. In Australia we have had a change of government. We have come to government committed to strong economic management, building a fairer Australia and investing in the future so that Australia is prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century. At the same time, we are committed to building a fairer Australia -- including for Indigenous Australians. The new Australian government is also international in its outlook. We are committed to building strong relationships with our key partners -- like Indonesia. But we also believe that foreign relations cannot be based solely on bilateral relations. To help underpin security, stability and prosperity we need strong regional institutions and we need to support the maintenance and the development of the global rules-based order. That is the fundamental approach the Australian government brings to its relationship with Indonesia. We want to work towards a better future for the people of Australia and a better future for the people of Indonesia. The best way for us to do that, is in partnership. Australia and Indonesia are inseparable partners. Ours is a relationship that has evolved a lot in the last 60 years -- from the time when Australia first supported Indonesian independence to the strong, close and increasingly comprehensive partnership we have today. Today I would like to speak about the partnership we have between Australia and Indonesia and how we should take this partnership forward. The Australian and Indonesian governments share a common goal of economic development for our countries. We have different circumstance and different attributes, but we are both after sustainable development for our people. Today I discussed with President Yudhoyono the new country strategy that the Australian government has developed with its Indonesian partners. The program will run for five years and is an indication of our long-term commitment to our relationship with Indonesia. But economic development is mainly about the private sector. I recognize the hard work and commitment that goes into building and maintaining business relationships. Our job in government is to make it as easy as possible to do business. We can also work regionally -- through the FTA we are negotiating between Australia, New Zealand and the member countries of ASEAN. If we can link both of our economies to the wider region through this agreement, it will provide some real opportunities for growth. We can also do more bilaterally -- I hope that the feasibility study into a free trade agreement between Australia and Indonesia will show that there are great gains to be made if we open up our economies more to each other. We can work more broadly too -- particularly in APEC where business and investment facilitation is a key focus. And we can work globally. The World Trade Organization talks are at a critical stage and we need governments around the world -- supported by the voice of business -- to make a push to conclude an ambitious deal before time gets away from us. Because it is the WTO that has set the stage for the remarkable growth in trade and the global economy over the past six decades. Continued economic development is crucial to both our countries. But we also need to build a sustainable future for our countries and our region. And there is no greater challenge in building a sustainable future than climate change. We have to act to tackle climate change. The economic cost of inaction will be much greater than the economic cost of action. Australia and Indonesia share the goal of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. For Indonesia, one of the biggest challenges is reducing deforestation. I was very pleased today that President Yudhoyono and I signed a Forest Carbon Partnership that commits our two countries to work together more closely in this area. Around 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions comes from deforestation. So it is a critical element in the fight against climate change. But land clearing is a path to a better economic future for people in many cases. So how do we recognize the value of keeping rainforests and at the same time provide opportunities for economic development? One answer to this question is to tie rainforest protection to emerging global carbon markets. We need to set a value -- a real dollar value -- on the carbon stored in rainforests. But before we can do that, we have to know how much carbon there is. That is where Australia can help. The carbon credits from avoided deforestation -- in other words the preservation of rainforests -- could be an alternative source of revenue for Indonesia. This is not a straightforward process. Carbon markets are still developing. But President Yudhoyono and I agreed today to develop a roadmap for linking forest carbon and global carbon markets. There is real potential for Australia and Indonesia to lead the world here. We share a goal of having avoided deforestation recognized in future climate change agreements. We will be working closely together in the lead up to the G8 meeting in Japan next month -- where President Yudhoyono and I will both attend the outreach session with its focus on climate change. Australia and Indonesia have already shown that we can lead the world in other areas. The regional inter-faith dialog process that began in 2004 is a great example of this. It brings together people from Australia, Indonesia and from around the region to share their ideas and discuss their faiths. I am a strong supporter of the inter-faith dialog and I want to see it continue and expand in the years ahead. I am pleased to announce today that Australia will host the next round of this dialog. Climate change and interfaith dialog are both examples of Australia and Indonesia working together on global challenges. Beyond cooperation on the big question of climate change and our work on interfaith dialog, our shared geography makes us partners in a wide range of matters. For instance in fighting against terrorism. Australians and Indonesians have both suffered from the scourge of terrorism. We have seen innocent people murdered. And we have responded by strong, practical cooperation in preventing terrorism and tracking down the perpetrators. I want to pay tribute to the close cooperation we have in this area -- particularly between our law enforcement agencies. I am committed to maintaining and strengthening that cooperation. But our security cooperation is broader than counter-terrorism. We have the Lombok Treaty that sets the tone for this wider security cooperation. And it provides a framework for increased cooperation in defense, law enforcement, and other critical areas including aviation and maritime security. President Yudhoyono and I discussed the Treaty today and we agreed to develop a detailed plan for increased defense cooperation -- one of the key aims of the treaty. [This article is an edited version of Australia's PM Kevin Rudd's speech at a recent luncheon in Jakarta hosted by the Indonesia Australia Business Council (IABC)]. © JakartaPost.Com.

Captain Pottengal Mukundan, of the International Maritime Bureau, talks about piracy
(16 June 2008). Captain Pottengal Mukundan, Director of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), calls for systematic action against piracy by the governments of the countries affected. He explains his viewpoint in an exclusive interview with the Hamburg Trade Fair in the run-up to the first international conference on “Maritime Security & Defence” (MS&D). The conference will be held concurrently with the SMM (shipbuilding, machinery & marine technology international trade fair hamburg) at the Hamburg Fair site, on 24 and 25 September 2008. Leading experts analyse the current threat to shipping and ports from armed pirates and terrorist attacks, pinpoint potential danger hotspots, and indicate ways of solving the problems. An effective way of combating piracy is seen by Captain Mukundan in the work of the IMB, a specialist department of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Commercial Crime Services. “Our Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur is the only centre manned 24 hours a day that records all attacks on ships occurring anywhere in the world,” said the IMB Director, adding that reports of attacks, often made by the crews of the ships while the attack is still going on, are forwarded immediately to the nearest law enforcement agency to the place of the incident. And the IMB monitors very carefully what action is taken. If a government does nothing, the state in question is exposed to pressure as a result of global publication. This practical and positive approach makes the IMB very effective. “If governments decide to take action against piracy, and systematically enforce the law with arrests, trials and condemnations, that will reduced the number of attacks”. Captain Mukundan does not believe the use of private security services on ships would be very effective. He says that is not the right response to the problem of piracy, agreeing with the line taken by the London-based UN agency IMO (International Maritime Organization). He concludes that “the use of weapons is likely to make the problems worse rather than helping to solve them”. Piracy is on the increase wherever there is no strong government order, says the IMB Director – where maritime law enforcement agencies are weak and in areas where civil war is raging. That applies currently to Nigeria and Somalia, which are currently the hotspots of piracy. Out of a total of 49 attacks by armed pirates known to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in the first three months of this year, 29 occurred in the waters of African states. Ten of them took place off the coast of Nigeria alone. Eight were in the waters of the Indian sub-continent, and another eight in South-East Asia. There were three pirate attacks in America, and one in Vietnam. By contrast, there was not a single piracy incident reported from the Strait of Malacca, which used to be one of the most dangerous areas. That is one of the success stories, said Captain Mukundan. In 2007 the PRC recorded 263 incidents of piracy and armed attacks on ships worldwide, including 43 in Indonesia, 42 in Nigeria und 31 in Somalia. “It is essential to analyse the serious attacks very carefully, and to make the lessons learned from that available to all ship owners and their advisors,” demands the IMB Director. The MS&D puts the spotlight on questions about threats to the shipping routes and ports by piracy and terrorist attacks, and presents the possible solutions. The high-calibre speakers at MS&D include senior officers of a number of navies, including the Royal Navy (UK), the French Navy, the German Navy and the Malaysian Navy. They and other experts from the security industry and academia give answers to questions which do not appear on the front pages of the daily newspapers, except where there are spectacular incidents such as the attack on the French luxury yacht Le Ponant. What framework conditions are needed to effectively combat pirates and provide the best possible protection from terrorist attacks on ships and ports? How do naval vessels need to be equipped for anti-piracy missions? What technical security equipment and measures promise effective defence against pirate attacks? What impact could a terrorist attack have on the main arteries of world trade, such as the Suez Canal? How can the risks be minimised? What possibilities of prevention are there? The MS&D conference is organised by HMC and the publishing house Mönch Verlag, Bonn, represented by the magazine NAVAL FORCES as the advisor and media partner. © BYMNews.com.

US to grant $10M to RP maritime police in 5 years
Manila (16 June 2008) - Beginning this year, the US government will be giving US$10 million in the next five years to the Philippine maritime police to enhance the security in the shorelines and the territorial waters of the country. This was disclosed Monday by Chief Supt. Angelo Sunglao, director of the Philippine National Police-Maritime Group (PNP-MG), in the weekly Kapihan ng Bayan sa Sulo media forum in Quezon City. Sungalo said the US grant aims to improve the environment protection measures in the country. “We need to upgrade and enhance our equipment and personnel to better protect and patrol our shorelines,” he said. Sunglao said they will be getting US$2 million worth of the maritime package, involving equipment and training of personnel within five years. The support package also includes 30 new special boat units (SBUs), which are fully armed, and a repair hub for vessels. A headquarters for the complementary maritime equipment and vessels will be based in Palawan, he said. Aside from the US grant, Sunglao said they will be receiving P10 billion from the national government for the modernization of the maritime security. He added that they have been given a go-signal by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to hire additional 100 personnel in the next four years to complement the acquisition of the modern maritime equipment. At present, the PNP-MG has an estimated 1,300 personnel to man and guard the more than 17,000 kilometer-shoreline of the country. © GMANews.TV.

Jalur Gemilang flying high at Middle Rocks by Farik Zolkepli
Middle Rocks (15 June 2008) - The Government raised the national flag, five markers and a monument here to reaffirm Malaysia’s sovereignty over the island. National Security Council Secretary Datuk Muhammad Hatta Ab. Aziz said the efforts were undertaken by a team from the Mapping and Survey Department between June 4 and 12. “Mapping will be done by the department soon. “After that, we might build more structures on it so that there will be no more dispute,” he said after the flag-raising ceremony here yesterday. Muhammad Hatta added that the perimeter of Middle Rocks was about 450m, while the eastern side where the flag was placed, was 80m by 15m. He said the Government would also start identifying and mapping all unnamed islands nationwide soon. “According to the Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Rais Yatim, there are an estimated 110 islands but it could be more,” he said. He explained that locals, especially fishermen, were still prohibited from fishing near Middle Rocks until the technical committee formed by Malaysia and Singapore sorted out some issues. “The committee discussion is ongoing and I cannot give a timeframe,” he said. Meanwhile, the department’s principal assistant director (survey) David Chang Leng Hua said that the monument placed there would also be used to place a Global Navigational Satellite System. He added that among the challenges faced during the team’s work there was high tides, which made it hard for them to go to Middle Rocks. Personnel from the department, the National Security Council, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency as well as members of the media joined in to sing the national anthem as the Jalur Gemilang was raised at 11.45am here yesterday. © 1995-2008 Star Publications (M) Bhd.

States Parties to Convention on Law of the Sea elect seven members of International Tribunal as they begin eighteenth meeting
Meeting of States Parties to Law of Sea Convention 115th & 116th Meetings (15 June 2008) - The States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea opened their eighteenth meeting today with a call for universal accession to that treaty, adoption of an amended provisional agenda, election of its Bureau and, after several rounds of voting, the election of seven members of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Following his election, by acclamation, as President, Yuriy Sergeyev of Ukraine noted that no new countries had acceded to the treaty since last year’s meeting, and the number of States Parties remained at 155. “The international community cannot but benefit from a strong and universally supported and implemented international legal regime in the oceans, so essential for the maintenance of international peace and security as well as for the sustainable use of the ocean resources, navigation and protection of the marine environment.” The meeting, which is scheduled to run through 20 June, will focus, among other things, on the workload facing the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf as it continues to examine submissions by coastal States for the delineation of the continental shelf. Often known as the “constitution of the oceans”, the landmark Convention was adopted on 10 December 1982 and entered into force on 16 November 1994. Its 320 articles and nine annexes govern all aspects of ocean space and maritime issues, from navigational rights, maritime limits and marine scientific research to the management of resources, protection of the marine environment and settlement of disputes. Key documents before the meeting include: “Issues related to the workload of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf -— tentative dates of submissions” (document SPLOS/INF/20, Add.1 and 2); the annual report of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for 2007 (document SPLOS/174); a letter dated 18 April 2008 from the Chairman of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf addressed to the President of the eighteenth meeting of States Parties and outlining the Commission’s work over the past year (document SPLOS/177); and draft budget proposals of the Tribunal for 2009–2010 (document SPLOS/2008/WP.1). In his opening remarks today, Mr. Sergeyev welcomed the heads of the three bodies established by the Convention -- the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the International Seabed Authority, and the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf –- stressing that the eighteenth meeting had before it an unusually challenging agenda, and was counting on the support and understanding of all delegations to complete it. Following those remarks, the meeting elected the following Vice-Presidents: Paul Badji ( Senegal), Ana Cristina Rodriguez Pineda ( Guatemala), Dean Bialek ( Australia) and Shazalina Zainul Abidin (Malaysia). It was also announced that the Credentials Committee would consist of the following States parties: Brazil, Greece, Indonesia, Mongolia, Morocco, New Zealand, Slovenia, South Africa and Suriname. Following a suspension of the meeting, Miriam Mac Intosh (Suriname), Chair of the Credentials Committee, supplied a brief report on that body and read out the 149 countries, plus the European Commission, whose credentials had been approved, either fully or provisionally. At the outset of the afternoon session, however, the President announced that all 155 States Parties would be eligible to vote. Also this afternoon, the States Parties elected, by secret ballot, members of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to fill two seats allocated to the Group of African States, two for the Group of Asian States, one for the Group of Latin American and the Caribbean States, one for the Eastern European Group and one for the Western European and Other States Group. Members of the Tribunal serve for nine years and those elected today will begin their terms on 1 October 2008. In the first round of voting, the following were elected: From the Asian Group: P. Chandrasekhara Rao ( India), with 109 votes; and Joseph Akl { Lebanon), with 106 votes; From the Latin American and Caribbean Group: Vicente Marotta Rangel ( Brazil), with 146 votes; From the Eastern European Group: Vladimir Vladimirovitch Golitsyn ( Russian Federation), with 143 votes; From the Western European and other States Group: Rüdiger Wolfrum ( Germany), with 141 votes. No candidates for the two African Group seats received the required two-thirds majority: José Luis Jesus ( Cape Verde) received 86 votes; Fernando J. França Van-Dúnem ( Angola) received 59 votes; and Allieu Ibrahim Kanu ( Sierra Leone) received 45. In the second round, Boualem Bouguetaia ( Algeria) was elected with 95 votes, and in the third round, José Luis Jesus ( Cape Verde) was elected with 94 votes. The States Parties will convene at 10 a.m. on Monday, 16 June, to continue with the work programme of their eighteenth meeting. © 2008 7thSpace Interactive.

Sabah likely to get aircraft for surveillance
Kota Kinabalu (14 June 2008) - Sabah may get one of two aircraft meant for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to keep aerial surveillance over its long coastline by September this year. Newly-appointed Maritime Director-General Admiral Datuk Mohd Amdan bin Kurish said the Federal Government would be providing the agency a fixed wing aircraft and a helicopter in Kuala Lumpur. "Sabah may get one and the other placed in the peninsula. However, we have yet to make a decision on this," Mohd Amdan revealed during a working visit to the MMEA Sabah and Labuan headquarters at Wisma Dixon, here, Friday. Also present was Regional Enforcement Chief for Sabah and Labuan, Maritime First Admiral Ahmad Puzi AB Kahar. According to Mohd Amdan, the agency here has 15 vessels and 10 speedboats but these are not sufficient to cater to coastal surveillance in Sabah. Therefore, he said, applications would be made to have more vessels and speedboats for better MMEA enforcement in Sabah, which would also depend on the agency's budget under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) or Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP). "The existing MMEA vessels are used ones purchased from the Royal Malaysian Navy, Fisheries Department and Marine Police. A lot of maintenance needs to be done on the vessels to ensure they can be in operation. Of 15 vessels, only 10 are operational while five need to be repaired. "But we are facing some financial constraints and the latest directive we have received is that we have to stop repairing the said vessels due to the financial difficulties. Nonetheless, we will use existing equipment and try our best to repair the vessels," Mohd Amdan said. He said the agency would deploy more vessels to three main areas, namely, Sandakan, Labuan and Tawau where smuggling and illegal fishing are rampant. © Daily Express, Sabah, Malaysia.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency buys two Bombardier 415 multipurpose aircraft
Montreal, Quebec (13 June 2008) - Bombardier Aerospace announced that the government of Malaysia has placed a firm order for two Bombardier 415 multipurpose amphibious aircraft (Bombardier 415MP) for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). With this order, the Malaysian government becomes the launch customer in Asia for the specialized Bombardier 415MP aircraft. In addition, the contract includes aircraft integration and training. A variant of the rugged Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft, the only aircraft specifically designed for aerial firefighting, the two Bombardier 415MP will be modified with maritime surveillance capabilities to meet the specialized needs of the MMEA. As such, the two Bombardier 415MP aircraft will be equipped with a state-of-the-art surveillance suite that includes two side-looking airborne radars, one forward-looking infrared radar, an airborne maritime surveillance system and other avionics and communications equipment. "The aircraft's ability to fly at low speed and low altitude with great manoeuvrability and to land on water also makes it an ideal aircraft for coastal patrol missions," said Michel Bourgeois, President, Specialized and Amphibious Aircraft Division, Bombardier Aerospace. "Our Bombardier 415MP aircraft also offers unique multi-mission capabilities for a wide range of missions as it combines the capabilities of a traditional surveillance aircraft with the added benefit of being able to execute direct interventions on water. It is a very capable and cost-effective aircraft, able to carry out a multitude of specialized missions that previously required dedicated vessels and aircraft," added Mr. Bourgeois. Since delivery of the first Bombardier 415 aircraft in 1994, Bombardier Aerospace has delivered 67 Bombardier 415 aircraft in Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Ontario, Quebec and Spain, with 42 aircraft in operation in the Mediterranean region alone. The multi-purpose Bombardier 415MP can be used in a variety of specialized missions such as search and rescue, environmental protection, coastal patrol and transportation. It is fitted with sophisticated sensors to locate and identify vessels, people in distress and pollutants. About Bombardier: A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from commercial aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, systems and services, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2008, were $17.5 billion US, and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD: 22.06, +0.13, +0.59%). Bombardier is listed as an index component to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. News and information are available at www.bombardier.com. Bombardier, Bombardier 415, Bombardier 415MP and CL-215 are trademarks of Bombardier Inc., or its subsidiaries. © 2008 SmartMoney.

Maritime agency to have own air unit by Sharon Ling
Kuching (16 June 2008) - The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) is setting up its own air unit to improve its monitoring of illegal activities at sea. Director-general Admiral Datuk Amdan Kurish said the agency was in the process of acquiring two Bombardier amphibious aircraft from Canada, which will be used for aerial surveillance. The aircraft are expected to arrive in September or October. "We have not decided where we will station them, probably one in Peninsular Malaysia and the other in Sabah or Sarawak. "They will help us greatly in detecting illegal activities at sea, such as encroachment by foreign fishing vessels," he told reporters Monday after visiting MMEA's Sarawak regional office here. He added that at present the Air Force worked together with the agency to provide aerial surveillance. "This is important because a big area can be covered through aerial surveillance and information on encroachment or other illegal activities can be quickly relayed to us for action," he said. Amdan also said the agency had acquired three helicopters and was now training pilots and crew to man them. "Currently the pilots are seconded from the Air Force, but at the same time we are sending a number of MMEA personnel to flight schools to be trained as pilots. "There are now about 12 MMEA personnel undergoing pilot training and we expect to produce our own pilots within the next year," he said. © 1995-2008 Star Publications (M) Bhd.

Rare leatherback turtles return to Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur - The endangered leatherback turtle has made a surprise return to nest in Malaysia where they were feared to have been wiped out, but experts are worried the precious eggs will not hatch. After a no-show last year, the rare giant turtles have nested twice on the Rantau Abang beach in northern Terennganu state, on June 23 and 24. "This is exciting for us and it has given us new hope in our conservation efforts," said Munir Mohamad Nawi, director of the state's fisheries department. "We presume that (roughly) two more females will arrive to nest. Two years ago we had five nesting sites for these leatherbacks," he told AFP, adding that none of the eggs gathered then had produced baby leatherbacks. Workers from the state's Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre hatchery have recovered just 41 eggs from the latest two nests, less than half what would be expected. "This is unfortunate. At the first nest, there were no eggs at all and we were lucky to find the 41 eggs in the second one," said Munir. He said it was likely the eggs had been poached by locals who sell them illegally in nearby markets. The sale of leatherback turtle eggs is banned in the state but those of other sea turtle species can be sold and consumed. The leatherbacks are the largest of all sea turtles and have been around for the past 75 million years, surviving cycles of near-extinction. In Terengganu, the only place in Malaysia were the leatherbacks nested, the turtles were once a star attraction but overfishing, poaching and pollution have been blamed for causing the population to plummet. In the 1950s, up to 10,000 female turtles struggled up the beach to lay their eggs each year, but by 1984 the number had fallen to 800 and in 2006 only five nests were found from two turtles, without any hatchlings emerging. "My only hope is that the eggs hatch. None of the eggs has hatched since 2000 because they were infertile," said Rahayu Zulkifli from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which runs a turtle conservation project in Terengganu. "It is increasingly difficult to find male leatherbacks here so most of the eggs are not fertilised and they eventually do not hatch," she added. Munir said Malaysian scientists were planning to use "advanced reproductive biotechnology" to fertilise this month's haul of leatherback eggs. "For example, we have the technology to use the semen from the green turtles and try to fertilise the leatherback eggs. This is among the technology we will be trying out to produce hatchlings," he said. Munir said that cloning was another method being studied in the biotechnology programme. "But that will be the last resort to prevent the extinction of the species," he added. Rahayu said the widespread sale of turtle eggs in the state was a contributor to the decline in the sea turtle population, and called for a ban on the sale of eggs of all sea turtle species. Terengganu's beaches are also landing sites for the green turtles -- the second largest species after the leatherbacks -- the Olive Ridley turtle and the hawksbill, although sightings of the latter two are increasingly rare. © 2008 AFP.

Indo-US security co-operation stymied by Indian reservations by Khalid Hasan
Washington - India will only co-operate on security issues with the United States when it feels that there is a significant threat to its security interests, according to a South Asia expert. In testimony before the House committee of foreign affairs, Walter Andersen of the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies pointed out that India’s reluctance to sign a logistics support agreement with the United States, allowing the refuelling of aircraft and ships in each other’s ports, arose out of concerns that this would undermine its policy of not allowing foreign troops on its soil. Andersen also urged for the signing of a memorandum of understanding on co-operative naval operations to safeguard the sea lanes of the Indian Ocean and critical choke points such as the Straits of Malacca and the Hormuz. Interaction: Washington was also advised to enhance the scope and depth of military-to-military interaction by increasing the budget for Indian officers to participate in international military education and training (IMET), increase the level joint army exercises to the brigade level and encourage co-development projects that allow the US and Indian defence industry to collaborate in the development stages of specific Indian weapons programmes. Andersen also suggested that Washington should support India as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to acknowledge India’s growing importance as an economic and military power on the world stage. He told the committee that India should be encouraged to remove restrictions on American investment, a prime example being the restriction on investment in the multi-brand retail trade where American firms are competitive. He argued that this would help reduce inefficiencies within India’s own distribution system, which is a significant drag on the country’s economy. He pointed out that there are also similar restrictions on insurance and financial services that stand in the way of investment from the US. Indian regulations make it similarly difficult for collaborative relationships between US and Indian educational institutions. © Daily Times (Pakistan).

UMS urged to help boost seaweed culture project
Kudat - Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) is urged to find ways to boost participation among the Pulau Banggi people in the seaweed culture project here. Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin, in making the call, said it was imperative to get more islanders to take part in the project to assist in boosting their income. He said this when visiting the project site under the UMS Borneo Marine Research Institute in collaboration with the Malaysia Fishery Development Board Sabah in Serunding. It is implemented under the hardcore poor development programme funded by the Federal Regional and Rural Development Ministry. During the visit, Yahya, who is also Agriculture and Food Industry Minister, was accompanied by Permanent Secretary Haji Jumahat Intang and heads of departments and agencies under the Ministry. According to him, seaweed farming offers lucrative income and would assist Banggi people in getting out of the poverty cycle. So far, about 112 people from Pulau Banggi, Pulau Balambangan and nearby islands are taking part in the project, which started in March 1999. UMS had expanded the project area up to Pitas and Kota Marudu waters as well. The seaweed, or scientifically known as Erucheuma cottonii, is also known as "Latoh" by the local community. UMS is also helping the participants to market the dried seaweed and so far successfully produced caranegan for cosmetic products. © Daily Express (Sabah).

Maritime patrol nets huge haul of hashish by K T Chacko
The Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, a multi-national naval grouping that conducts maritime security operations in the Middle East, has made over half a dozen successful boardings and seized about 10 tonnes of hashish and other opiates from boats in the last six months, the commanding officer of the force said yesterday. Speaking over telephone from his ship HMCS Iroquois in the Arabian Sea, the commander of the task force, Commodore Bob Davidson, told Gulf Times that the CTF had been able to stop ‘terror financing’ by severing the supply lines of drug traffickers in the region. Monitoring a vast area spreading over 2mn sq miles, the force comprises warships from coalition nations, including the UK, France, Canada, Germany, Pakistan and the United States. Commodore Davidson, from the Canadian Navy, has taken over the command of the force this month from Rear Admiral Jean L Kerignard of the French Navy. The command of the task force rotates among the different participating navies, with commands usually lasting about six months. “It is a huge challenge to keep an eye over such an area that includes the Gulf of Eden, Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean,” Commodore Davidson said, adding that the task force had been doing its very best under the present tough situation. The area is a vital artery of world trade that includes the main shipping routes from the Far East and the Gulf to Europe and the United States. “Our operations deny international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.” Asked about the fate of the drug traffickers who are apprehended in the high seas, Commodore Davidson said it was difficult to take them to courts because of the problems arising out of their nationalities as well as the complexities of jurisdiction over the location of the operation. “We are also not trained to conduct legal interrogation,” he said. Besides conducting maritime security operations, the task force also takes part in search and rescue operations. “We recently found a Somali boat that had broken down near the Gulf of Eden. Of the 70 people onboard, about 60 had died due to starvation but we were able to rescue the rest,” the CTF commander said. Another major contribution of the force is to keep the sea safe for shipping. “Though it is not part of our mandate, we chase pirates away and keep the shipping lines safe. We have chased quite a good number of pirates away near the coast of Somalia. We also report polluting vessels to international bodies dealing with the subject,” he said. According to Commodore Davidson, presently the CTF has 10 warships and about 1,500 sailors under its disposal. The strength of the task force varies from six to 14 ships and about 1,500 to 3,000 personnel. Asked how the operations are funded, the commanding officer said each participating country paid for its ships and men. “Japan provides fuel to some of the ships in the force.” Answering a question about the challenges faced by the CTF, Commodore Davidson said the biggest concern was the lack of adequate number of ships and men to maintain surveillance over such a vast area. “We some times depend for information on the American aircraft patrolling the seas from their base in Qatar. Countries bordering the seas that we patrol also co-operate by sharing information.” Asked about the success of the task force’s mission, the commanding officer said: “The fact that there has been no major terrorist acts worldwide in recent years is testimony to the success of the CTF. “We want to make this region as safe as possible by eliminating threats to the maritime industry.” © 2008 Gulf Times Newspaper.

Boat carrying Indonesian illegals capsizes in Malaysian waters
Kuala Lumpur - Five people died and seven more are missing after a boat, believed to be ferrying illegal Indonesian migrants, capsized in waters off Malaysia's southern Johor state, reports said Wednesday. Two survivors who were picked up by local police on a beach early Tuesday told authorities their boat was carrying 14 people from Batam, Indonesia, when it capsized, said district acting police chief Mohammad Shamsuddin. 'The small boat they were in was probably hit by strong waves as they were approaching land and capsized,' Mohammad was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times daily. He said the two did not have travel documents. The bodies of five victims - two women, two men and a child - were discovered in fishing nets on Tuesday, the report said. Mohammad said police and marine officials have yet to find the seven other passengers, four of whom are believed to be children. Malaysia is home to millions of illegal migrants, most of whom are from neighbouring Indonesia and the Philippines. © Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

Country’s first Islamic shipping fund unveiled
Kuala Lumpur - Asian Finance Bank Bhd (AFB) and AmanahRaya Investment Bank Ltd, Labuan (ARIBL) has launched the first syariah-compliant shipping fund in Malaysia worth RM1bil. ARIBL chairman Tan Sri Arshad Ayub said the fund would seek to provide stable returns through the acquisitions of high quality vessels under charter arrangements of seven to 10 years with established and credit-worthy charterers. “AFB and ARIBL will jointly manage the fund,” he told reporters at the launch of the Safeena Islamic Fund in conjunction with the release of Amanah Raya Bhd Annual Report 2007 yesterday. ARIBL managing director Datuk Mohamed Azahari Kamil said the shipping fund was a 10-year closed-end fund constituted via Safeena (L) Ltd, domiciled in Labuan. “It will be offered via private placement and is intended to provide investors a chance to invest in a new class of syariah-compliant products,” he said. He added that investors were likely to come from the Middle East and Malaysia. On the returns on investment, Azahari said the fund was expected to yield an annual dividend of up to 10%. The first vessel could be acquired within a couple of months, he said, adding: “We are now looking at a few vessels.” He also said there was a possibility that the fund size would need to be increased in time. AFB acting chief executive officer Daud Vicary Abdullah said the fund gave investors the opportunity to enter the shipping, marine infrastructure and support services sectors. “Our focus will be on offshore vessels, bulk carriers and tankers that have firm employment serving the oil and gas, dry bulk, chemical and commodity markets dealing with coal, iron ore and palm oil,” he said. He added that the funds could be used to acquire new or second-hand vessels that met the investment criteria. Safeena (L) Ltd chairman Datuk Abdul Latif Abdullah said charter rates for vessels, especially for dry bulk, were expected to remain high till at least 2011. © 1995-2008 Star Publications (M) Bhd.

Malaysian contractor clinches Eni’s contract in Oyo oilfield by Ejiofor Alike
Malaysian contractor, Bumi Armada has secured a five-year charter contract to provide a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel to tap crude oil from the Oyo field off Niger Delta. Bumi Armada, in a statement, officially confirmed the deal with Italian oil giant Eni’s Nigeria subsidiary Nigerian Agip Exploration. The Malaysian yard beat stiff competition from Saipem and Aker Floating Production to win charter with a five-year extension period. By the terms of the contract, Bumi will convert an old Romanian very large crude carrier named Histria Crown into an FPSO with storage capacity of 1 million barrels, coupled with a production train capacity of 45,000 barrels per day. Hassan Basma, chief executive officer of Bumi Armada, said the new contract underscored its increasing competence in executing large and fast track projects. "This new contract underscores our increasing competence in the execution of large and fast track projects. Our quick refurbishment of our first FPSO Armada Perkasa last year in record time of 12 months from contract to arrival on site is a testament to our team’s increasing competence in design, engineering, conversion and refurbishment, project management and procurement capabilities. Clients are now beginning to recognise this," he said. Water and gas injection capabilities will be included in the FPSO’s topside. Initial oil shipments are targeted for July next year from the new floater, which will be renamed Armada Perdana. Bumi Armada Berhad (BAB) is involved in the provision of marine transportation and support, as well as engineering and maintenance services for companies operating in the oil and gas industry. The company prides itself as the largest owner and operator of offshore support vessels in Malaysia and is an established and trusted service partner in the oil and gas industry. It is also growing in FPSO and Brownfield Installation, and currently serve clients in South East Asia, Australia and Africa. © BusinessDay Media Limited (Nigeria).

Demand rising in offshore support vessel market
Kuala Lumpur - Demand in the offshore support vessel (OSV) market in Asia Pacific will continue to grow, driven by deepwater exploration and production activities, MISC Bhd's vice president of offshore business, Zahar Mohd Hashim Zainuddin, said today. He said that construction related activities and increased rig support need will add to the demand. Countries like China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia were investing heavily in the exploration and production activities, Zahar said. "Asia Pacific is expected to lead in offshore spending, which will provide the OSV market with growth opportunities. Fueled by the increasing exploration and production activities, the OSV market will continue to experience positive earnings," he said. He was presenting a paper on "Offshore Maritime Service Industry -- A New Growth Driver in Shipping Industry" at the ongoing 5th Asia Maritime and Logistics Conference and Exhibition 2008 here. Zahar said rising oil prices and depleting reserves have been the key drivers in boosting exploration and production expenditure which will benefit the OSV market. According to him, the OSV market is getting more challenging due to the increasing demand for more technologically advanced vessels. He said among the advanced technology was Dynamic Positioning (DP) which enabled OSV operations to be safer, more efficient and faster. Zahar said another challenge was that multi-functional OSVs were becoming more expensive to build and needed specialised operations and maintenance crew. He said the lack of capacity and technical capability in local shipyards will make it difficult in meeting the demand for Malaysian-built tonnages and technologically advanced OSVs. According to him, Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) may impose a regulation for all OSVs awarded long-term charter contracts to be constructed in Malaysia. Major services offered by the OSV market are logistic support to rigs, platform and offshore, towing rigs from one location to another, placing and retrieving its anchor as well as supplies and provisioning. The services also include providing safety and emergency response service as well as exploration, drilling, construction, production and commissioning of offshore installation. In another presentation, Petronas' vice president of exploration and production business, Ramlan A. Malek, said business outlook indicated that there will be a requirement for marine services to support Malaysia's exploration development. Ramlan said that Petronas will continue to grow Malaysia's oil and gas reserves. "We hope to continue growing and sustain the reserves as well as sustaining the production level," he said in his paper on "Offshore Maritime Opportunity in the Exploration and Production Industry". Malaysia has a total of 610,318 square kilometres of exploration acreages with over 70 production-sharing contracts in place, with the country's exploration and production activities more focused in East Malaysia, Ramlan said. Key challenges in these activities were tight availability of supply, increasing rates of services and cost-effectiveness,