Contemporary Maritime Piracy In Southeast Asia: An Australian Perspective

Abstract

Maritime piracy remains an endemic problem in Southeast Asia. Piracy in the region poses immediate threats to maritime freight alongside far-reaching indirect threats to global trade and regional stability. Australia finds itself particularly vulnerable to regional trade disruptions, facing a combination of unavoidable geographic factors and underprepared local infrastructure. Since the early 2000s, multilateral efforts to strengthened combat regional piracy have counter-piracy capabilities through coordinated deployments of maritime force and the consolidation of information sharing efforts.  Australia must seek to include increased counter-piracy cooperation in its commitment to strengthen defence and economic partnerships with the nations of Southeast Asia. Maritime piracy will continue to pose a challenge to the stability of trade in the world‟s busiest sea lanes, but with continued multilateral cooperation, the strengthening of information sharing and joint security initiatives, and increased resourcing of local maritime law enforcement agencies, this escalating issue can be controlled.