HDFF Chairman’s Circle/ Strategic Forum determined to “KNOWLEDGE IMPROVES LIFE” !!
CC 6 : “Organized Crime and Piracy in Southeast Asia and repercussions to Thailand”
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
General (ret) Bunchon Chawansin, HDFF Chairman
On Wednesday, June 22, 2011, HDFF’s Executive Director Dr. Wilfried A. Herrmann on behalf of the Chairman Gneral (ret) Bunchon Chawansin welcomed high level guests to the 6th HDFF Chairman’s Circle 2011 supported by IRPC at the Rembrandt Hotel, Bangkok.
It was an honor and pleasure to have a renowned guest speaker coming in from a half around the world trip especially for this high level event of HDFF to explain the situation related to organizes crime and piracy and repercussions to Thailand: Dr. Peter Lehr, Senior Lecturer with Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV) University of St. Andrews, Scotland/United Kingdom
Dr. Peter Lehr is a senior research associate at the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV), University of St. Andrews, Scotland/United Kingdom. Prior to his appointment at St. Andrews in September 2004, he was lecturer at the Department of Political Science, South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg/Germany, and visiting fellow at the Institute for Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok/Thailand.
Being a regional specialist on the Indian Ocean, he currently works on security issues such as piracy, organized crime and (maritime) terrorism with a strong focus on South and Southeast Asia. He has published several articles on political Islam in South and Southeast Asia, and on Indian Ocean maritime security issues. Among them are “The Challenge of Security in the Indian Ocean: Plus ça change…?” (online at http://www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/archiv/4124) and Violence at Sea.
Piracy in the Age of Global Terrorism, published by Routledge New York in November 2006. Currently, he is preparing a handbook on ISPS implementation published in Autumn 2007 by Taylor & Francis, New York, and (together with Dr. Anthony Richards) he has just been awarded a book contract by Oxford University Press for a reader on terrorism. Dr. Lehr also is one of the tutors of the CSTPV/Informa Group distance learning course on terrorism (http://terrorismstudies.com). For this certificate course he developed the module on maritime terrorism.
Research Activities:
+ Naval/Maritime Security (Indian Ocean, Asia-Pacific)
+ Maritime Piracy and Maritime Terrorism
+ Organized Crime in South and Southeast Asia
+ Terrorism in South and Southeast Asia
+ Political Islam/Hinduism/Sikhism/Buddhism
Dr. Peter Lehr moderated by Dr. Wilfried A. Herrmann, Executive Director HDFF
Guests of various INGO, UN organizations, Embassies and Royal Thai Armed Forces listened to the presentation of Peter Lehr about organized crime and piracy and its repercussions to Thailand.
Peter Lehr shared his knowledge on piracy by stating that piracy is back in Southeast Asia as well as internationally, with media coverage taking up the issue since November 5th 2005 when the cruise ship MV Seabourn Spirit was attacked off the coast of Somalia.
The return of piracy to Southeast Asia (SEA) was accompanied by the international Globalization, reaching SEA in the 1980s. Global trade led to more private vessels and fewer military ships, therewith increasing the possibility of successful attacks thus opening the opportunity to make considerably more money. Fishermen in the southern Philippines or Thailand turned towards piracy when they weren’t hired as fishermen simply because of financial needs as to being able to put food on the table. Piracy for them therefore was a necessary evil to survive.
The horn of Africa, which currently attracts the most media attention, was at that time, 1980s and beginning of 1990s still considerably safer than it is today. Originally Somali piracy consisted of 4 groups: Marka Group and Puntland Group, which were a losse association of fishermen, and the National Volunteer Coast Guard Somalia and Somalia Marines, who saw themselves as defenders of the homeland. Today there are about 1400 full time pirates in Somalia with an unknown number of “part-time” pirates. Their reach continued to grow and currently is up to 1500 nautical miles off the shore – a reaction because international ships closer to the coast started to get better protection. Apart from the sea-based operations Piracy is furthermore a land-based business as pirates need to be well connected and have good relations with the various clan leaders. Additionally, pirates are a substantial business factor along the coast, which explains why they are sometimes held in high regard.
Peter Lehr reminded the participants that only about 1% of the passing ships actually get attacked. Just as with international terrorism the fear factor is an important element of piracy. A defining moment of recent piracy history was identified as the attack on the French luxury yacht Le Ponant in April 2008. The captives were released after the payment of a ransom of $ 2 Million, making it the first ransom payment in the Million Dollar range. From then on the ransom industry continuously grew reaching an average ransom of $ 5 Million today. As more money was to be made in the ransom industry more militia members joined the piracy industry.
Another new development can be identified in the cooperation with outside actors. Piracy in Somalia usually has been a clan-based industry however more and more Yemenis can now be found on Somali pirate ships. Somali-like piracy will probably not be possible in SEA as the lack of government is a crucial element and no government of a SEA country would allow pirates to park a ship with western hostages on their shores.
Regarding a possible cooperation between pirates and Al-Shabaab no linkages can be identified so far as Al-Shabaab is not in need of funding and has a profitable line of smuggling themselves. Additionally, some members of Al-Shabaab declared piracy as unislamic. If ransom payments for hostages taken by pirates would stop pirates might be tempted to sell them to Al-Shabaab though.
The event was held under the Chatham House Rules which means that information gained during this event may be used. However, the person sharing the information must not be named.
Following the presentation was a very engaged and in depth discussion with high quality inputs from various sources widened the perspective including topics related to Southern Thailand.
HDFF would like to take the opportunity to thank the amazing guest speaker as well as the participants for their energetic involvement making the 6th HDFF Chairman’s Circle an interesting and thriving event.
The next HDFF Chairman’s Circle will commence on 21 July 2011 dealing with the Thailand elections! More information will be posted soon on the website or can be obtained via event@hdff.org
For registrations please contact herrmann@hdff.org or collein@hdff.org
HDFF Chairman’s Circle/ Strategic Forum determined to
“KNOWLEDGE IMPROVES LIFE” !!
“Organized Crime and Piracy in Southeast Asia and repercussions to Thailand”
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
General (ret) Bunchon Chawansin, HDFF Chairman
On Wednesday, June 22, 2011, HDFF’s Chairman welcomed high level guests to the 6th HDFF Chairman’s Circle 2011 supported by IRPC at the Rembrandt Hotel, Bangkok.
It was an honor and pleasure to have a renowned guest speaker coming in from a half around the world trip especially for this high level event of HDFF to explain the situation related to organizes crime and piracy and repercussions to Thailand:
Dr. Peter Lehr, Senior Lecturer with Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV) University of St. Andrews, Scotland/United Kingdom
Dr. Peter Lehr is a senior research associate at the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV), University of St. Andrews, Scotland/United Kingdom. Prior to his appointment at St. Andrews in September 2004, he was lecturer at the Department of Political Science, South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg/Germany, and visiting fellow at the Institute for Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok/Thailand. Being a regional specialist on the Indian Ocean, he currently works on security issues such as piracy, organized crime and (maritime) terrorism with a strong focus on South and Southeast Asia. He has published several articles on political Islam in South and Southeast Asia, and on Indian Ocean maritime security issues. Among them are “The Challenge of Security in the Indian Ocean: Plus ça change…?” (online at http://www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/archiv/4124) and Violence at Sea.
Piracy in the Age of Global Terrorism, published by Routledge New York in November 2006. Currently, he is preparing a handbook on ISPS implementation published in Autumn 2007 by Taylor & Francis, New York, and (together with Dr. Anthony Richards) he has just been awarded a book contract by Oxford University Press for a reader on terrorism. Dr. Lehr also is one of the tutors of the CSTPV/Informa Group distance learning course on terrorism (http://terrorismstudies.com). For this certificate course he developed the module on maritime terrorism.
Research Activities:
+ Naval/Maritime Security (Indian Ocean, Asia-Pacific)
+ Maritime Piracy and Maritime Terrorism
+ Organized Crime in South and Southeast Asia
+ Terrorism in South and Southeast Asia
+ Political Islam/Hinduism/Sikhism/Buddhism
Dr. Peter Lehr moderated by Dr. Wilfried A. Herrmann, Executive Director HDFF
Guests of various INGO, UN organizations, Embassies and Royal Thai Armed Forces listened to the presentation of Peter Lehr about organized crime and piracy and its repercussions to Thailand.
Peter Lehr shared his knowledge on piracy by stating that piracy is back in Southeast Asia as well as internationally, with media coverage taking up the issue since November 5th 2005 when the cruise ship MV Seabourn Spirit was attacked off the coast of Somalia.
The return of piracy to Southeast Asia (SEA) was accompanied by the international Globalization, reaching SEA in the 1980s. Global trade led to more private vessels and fewer military ships, therewith increasing the possibility of successful attacks thus opening the opportunity to make considerably more money. Fishermen in the southern Philippines or Thailand turned towards piracy when they weren’t hired as fishermen simply because of financial needs as to being able to put food on the table. Piracy for them therefore was a necessary evil to survive.
The horn of Africa, which currently attracts the most media attention, was at that time, 1980s and beginning of 1990s still considerably safer than it is today. Originally Somali piracy consisted of 4 groups: Marka Group and Puntland Group, which were a losse association of fishermen, and the National Volunteer Coast Guard Somalia and Somalia Marines, who saw themselves as defenders of the homeland. Today there are about 1400 full time pirates in Somalia with an unknown number of “part-time” pirates. Their reach continued to grow and currently is up to 1500 nautical miles off the shore – a reaction because international ships closer to the coast started to get better protection. Apart from the sea-based operations Piracy is furthermore a land-based business as pirates need to be well connected and have good relations with the various clan leaders. Additionally, pirates are a substantial business factor along the coast, which explains why they are sometimes held in high regard.
Peter Lehr reminded the participants that only about 1% of the passing ships actually get attacked. Just as with international terrorism the fear factor is an important element of piracy. A defining moment of recent piracy history was identified as the attack on the French luxury yacht Le Ponant in April 2008. The captives were released after the payment of a ransom of $ 2 Million, making it the first ransom payment in the Million Dollar range. From then on the ransom industry continuously grew reaching an average ransom of $ 5 Million today. As more money was to be made in the ransom industry more militia members joined the piracy industry.
Another new development can be identified in the cooperation with outside actors. Piracy in Somalia usually has been a clan-based industry however more and more Yemenis can now be found on Somali pirate ships. Somali-like piracy will probably not be possible in SEA as the lack of government is a crucial element and no government of a SEA country would allow pirates to park a ship with western hostages on their shores.
Regarding a possible cooperation between pirates and Al-Shabaab no linkages can be identified so far as Al-Shabaab is not in need of funding and has a profitable line of smuggling themselves. Additionally, some members of Al-Shabaab declared piracy as unislamic. If ransom payments for hostages taken by pirates would stop pirates might be tempted to sell them to Al-Shabaab though.
The event was held under the Chatham House Rules which means that information gained during this event may be used. However, the person sharing the information must not be named.
Following the presentation was a very engaged and in depth discussion with high quality inputs from various sources widened the perspective including topics related to Southern Thailand.
HDFF would like to take the opportunity to thank the amazing guest speaker as well as the participants for their energetic involvement making the 6th HDFF Chairman’s Circle an interesting and thriving event.
The next HDFF Chairman’s Circle will commence on 21 July 2011 dealing with the Thailand elections! More information will be posted soon on the website or can be obtained via event@hdff.org
For registrations please contact herrmann@hdff.org or collein@hdff.org
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