Thais Set to Join Southeast Asia Pirate Patrols

Thailand wants to join Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore to patrol the Strait of Malacca in an effort to prevent terrorist and pirate attacks, according to the Thai prime minister.^[1] "Thailand will help take care of security in the Strait of Malacca by joining the patrol," Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said in a weekly televised address after his return from an official visit to Malaysia.^[2]

The three other Southeast Asian countries already run coordinated sea patrols in the strait, through which about 65,000 vessels pass through each year, carrying half the world's oil and more than a third of its commerce.^[3] Thailand, which has taken part in anti-piracy exercises with the other countries, has long talked of joining the patrols.^[4]

Chulanont, however, did not say when Thailand might join the patrols, and it was unclear how the other three governments would receive Thailand's offer, given that Malaysia and Indonesia have repeatedly expressed fears that joint operations could impinge on their territorial integrity.^[5]

The Strait of Malacca — which runs between Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and past part of southern Thailand — is notorious for sea piracy, in fact the area is only eclipsed by the coast of Somalia in the rankings for most dangerous sea channels.

However, the number of attacks has fallen since Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia launched coordinated maritime patrols in 2004 and air patrols a year later.^[6] The joint patrols were launched after U.S. leaders voiced concerns about terrorists teaming up with pirates in the region to turn ships into floating bombs.^[7]

Under 18 U.S.C. § 1651, whoever commits the crime of piracy, as defined by the law of nations, and is afterwards brought into or found in the United States, shall be imprisoned for life. Piracy is one of the handful of crimes for which Universal Jurisdiction is available.^[8]

Federal criminal defense attorney Douglas McNabb has previously discussed, at length, the transnational crime of piracy at sea in his blog, here. And more specifically we have discussed Somali pirates, here.

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^[1] AP Staff, Thailand to join patrols of Malacca Strait to help boost maritime security, Associated Press Newswire, August 25, 2007, available at LEXIS, News Library, Wire News Services File.
^[2] Id.
^[3] Id.
^[4] Id.
^[5] Id.
^[6] Id.
^[7] Id.
^[8] Restatement (Third) Foreign Relations Law of the United States § 404 (1987); see also, McNabb Associates, United States Jurisdiction, TransnationalCrimes.com (2005), available here.