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FM SINGAPORE
TO DESKBY 26O8OOZ FCO
TELNO 209
OF 2510O9Z JUNE 92
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MDHIAN 9416
HKC
175/1
pa.
CM
INFO PRIORITY OTHER ASEAN POSTS, HONG KONG, CANBERRA, TOKYO,
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, BONN, THE HAGUE, PARIS, MODUK, ODA, ACTOR
YOUR TELNO 157 TO KUALA LUMPUR: PIRACY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
SUMMARY
1. WHILE SINGAPORE SEE ISSUE AS MAINLY AN INDONESIAN PROBLEM, ACCEPT NEED FOR IT TO BE TACKLED. COORDINATED SINGAPORE/INDONESIA PATROLS MAY BEGIN IN AUGUST. SINGAPOREANS HAVE NO DIFFICULTY WITH IMO ROLE, BUT STRONG PREFERENCE FOR QUIET ENCOURAGEMENT OF INDONESIANS RATHER THAN PUBLIC RECRIMINATION.
DETAIL
2.
WE HAVE BEEN TAKING FURTHER SOUNDINGS WITH A RANGE OF OFFICIAL AND NON-OFFICIAL INTERESTS IE THE PORT OF SINGAPORE AUTHORITY (PSA), THE SINGAPORE NATIONAL SHIPPERS' COUNCIL AND OTHERS IN THE INDUSTRY HERE.
3.
ALL OUR CONTACTS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE TACKLED AND ARE IN NO DOUBT THAT ITS SOLUTION ULTIMATELY DEPENDS ON THE INDONESIANS. ACCURATE STATISTICS REMAIN ELUSIVE: HOWEVER, FOR WHAT THEY ARE WORTH THE MFA GAVE US THE FOLLOWING:
YEAR
NO OF ATTACKS
NO OF ATTACKS IN SINGAPORE WATERS
1987
117
14
1988
25
2
1989
7
0
1990
1991
88
212
1
FIGURES FOR 1992 ARE NOT AVAILABLE ALTHOUGH PRESS REPORTS TALK OF 50 INCIDENTS SO FAR.
4. THE MFA DO NOT BELIEVE THE INDONESIANS ARE BEING WILFULLY NEGLIGENT. THEY NOTE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE INDONESIANS' SHORTAGE OF
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