Abstract
The shipping industry regards several parLs of the world as piracy 'risk areas'. Within Asia, these include the Singapore Strait, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Philippine waters, and to a lesser extent the whole of the South China Sea.' From 1990 to 1992, the most 'risky' of these areas was the Riau Archipelago, that is, the waters around Singapore and the Indonesian islands to its south. The frequency of pirate attacks appeared to increase suddenly at the beginning of 1990 and to continue until mid-1992, when they just as suddenly ceased. These observations lead to one general and one specific question. The general question is: why are there pirates in the Riau Archipelago, but not (or not any longer) in Penzance? The more specific question is: why was there a sudden wave of attacks? In answer to both questions I shall offer two propositions. The first is that contemporary piracy occurs where three factors are in place; economic dislocation brought about by rapid development, recognition of piracy as an available cultural or subcultural possibility, and opportunity. The second is that some proportion of piracy in Asian waters appears to be condoned or conducted by state agencies. Piracy, like smuggling and corruption, may be a source of unofficial income for military or law enforcement personnel or indeed their agencies. It may flourish as long as provincial or local units can shield their staff from investigation and sanctions, but other things being equal, will become less common when the central authorities threaten to crack down. The next section provides background information and sets the scene for a more theoretical discussion. While data is drawn from a variety of sources, much of the empirical material is drawn from one area, the Riau Archipelago of Indonesia.2
Published Version
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