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MDHI
147445
9416
FAST PATROL CRAFT. THE IDEA OF COORDINATED PATROLS (OUR TELNO 178, NOT TO ALL) IS STILL BEING PURSUED. WE ARE TOLD THAT THE INDONESIAN ARMY (SIC) PROPOSED DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES AND TODAY'S PRESS REPORTS PROMINENTLY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DIRECT COMMUNICATION LINK BETWEEN THE SINGAPOREAN AND INDONESIAN NAVIES WHICH INTER ALIA WILL ASSIST ANTI-PIRACY MEASURES. HOWEVER, (PACE CANBERRA TELNO 301) THERE APPEAR AS YET TO BE NO QUOTE JOINT PATROLS UNQUOTE AND, WITH OPERATIONAL DETAILS STILL BEING WORKED OUT, NO SUCH ARRANGEMENT IS EXPECTED BEFORE AUGUST.
SUGGEST HOT PURSUIT IS STILL NOT RULED OUT (THOUGH WHAT IT WOULD ADD IN PRACTICE IS OBSCURE AS SINGAPORE'S WATERS STILL SEEM INCIDENT FREE.)
5. THE SINGAPOREANS HAVE NO DIFFICULTY WITH IMO INVOLVEMENT, AND THE MFA HAVE INDEED RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVELY TO AN IMO PROPOSAL TO CONVENE A SEMINAR FAIRLY SOON. BUT BOTH GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY CIRCLES HERE BELIEVE QUIET DIALOGUE WITH THE INDONESIANS, WITHOUT ANY PUBLIC FINGER WAGGING, IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM. WHEN I SOUNDED OUT THE MFA DEPUTY SECRETARY, PETER HO, ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PIRACY BEING RAISED IN THE EC/ASEAN CONTEXT, HE EXPRESSED SOME RESERVATIONS: ALATAS COULD BE UNPREDICTABLE AND SENSITIVE AND THE INDONESIANS MIGHT SHY AWAY, ESPECIALLY WITH THEIR NAM PRESIDENCY, IF THE SUBJECT WERE RAISED IN THE WRONG WAY AT THE WRONG TIME. HO EVEN SURMISED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD WANE IN THE COMING MONTHS: THERE HAD BEEN RECENT PRESS REPORTS OF SOME INDONESIAN ACTION AGAINST A GROUP OF PIRATES AND THE COORDINATED PATROLS SHOULD ALSO HELP. THE TACK THE SINGAPOREANS HAVE TAKEN - AND, HO SUGGESTED, OTHERS MIGHT FOLLOW WAS TO POINT OUT QUIETLY TO THE INDONESIANS THAT IT WAS IN THEIR OWN ECONOMIC INTEREST THAT THEY TACKLE THE PROBLEM EG THE INDONESIANS REMAIN KEEN TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF BATAM AND THE GROWTH TRIANGLE, AN AMBITION WHICH COULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY THE PIRACY ISSUE. HO WAS ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE INDONESIANS COULD BE ATTRACTED TO THE MALAYSIAN IDEA OF A SHIPPING LEVY: QUOTE IT WAS IN SINGAPORE AND BRITISH INTEREST TO ENSURE THAT THIS DID NOT DEVELOP UNQUOTE.
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6. NONE OF OUR INTERLOCUTORS HAD MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME BUREAU (IMB) (THOSE THAT DID COMMENT, NOT LEAST PETER HO, WERE PRETTY DISMISSIVE). THE PRESS HAVE THIS WEEK PICKED UP ON A REPORT, APPARENTLY JUST RELEASED, BY THE IMB, ON PIRACY IN THE AREA WHICH GIVES SINGAPORE A VIRTUALLY CLEAN BILL OF
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