PIRATES EMBOLDENED BY RANSOM PAYMENTS, SAYS REPORT

BY MUIN ABDUL MAJID

DUBAI, Sept 2 (Bernama) -- Pirates in the Gulf of Aden are now largely ignoring African ships in favour of cargo ships and tankers owned by global shipping lines, said Andrew Mwangura, head of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme.

They are also setting their sights on tourists in their luxury yachts.

He said calls for the affected parties not to pay ransom had gone unheeded,
spurring further piracy activities.

"We told people not to pay ransom but they started paying. Other gunmen
realised they can earn money this way and started taking ships hostage instead
of robbing them," he was quoted by Emirates Business 24/7 as saying.

"For many years, piracy was simply robbery but now it has changed," added
Mwangura.

The business daily also quoted the Somali ambassador to the United Arab
Emirates (UAE), Hussein Bullaleh, as saying that no safety could be guaranteed
for UAE ships sailing through Somalia's waters in the absence of a
national army and a strong marine force.

Two Malaysian MISC Bhd tankers were hijacked in the Gulf of Aden, between
Yemen and Somalia, on Aug 19 and 29, with the Malaysian Foreign Ministry
scrambling to seek the release of the crew comprising Malaysians and
Filipinos.

The ministry has set up a special unit to monitor the hijacked Malaysian
tankers besides requesting assistance and cooperation from its counterparts in
Yemen and Somalia to ensure the safe release of the crew.