Pan-Asian Countermeasure Organization Starting Up Next Year

Starting early next year, a pan-Asian countermeasure organization will start its operation to prevent terrorism on the high seas in Asia. In addition, the “electronic highway on the sea” construction project, building sea safety facilities intensively in the Southeast Asian region where many sea crimes are targeted, will be promoted.

According to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries on November 15, 16 countries, including 10 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries such as Korea, China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India, recently held a meeting in Tokyo and adopted the Regional (terror and crimes on the sea) Crime in Asia Prevention Pact (ReCAPP).

The 16 countries agreed on setting up a “Pirate Information Sharing Center” in Singapore to support the works of the ReCAPP.

The ReCAPP is a cooperative agreement between 16 countries to prevent crimes and acts of terrorism, such as piracy, taking place in Asia, and was drafted in November of last year.

According to the ReCAPP, the 16 member countries will share information in cases of sea crimes and will launch cooperative investigations.

Also, they will hold joint training periodically and extradite criminals arrested in their countries to other member countries according to the criminal extradition agreement.

Aside from this, the “electronic highway on the sea” project funded by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) will also be fully promoted late this year if early.

The project will construct facilities necessary to ensure sea safety such as harbor operation control centers and communication equipments in the Malacca Strait and its surrounding areas with an investment of 56 million dollars from 2004 until 2012.

The ministry will participate in the project by offering facilities and equipment worth $750,000 such as radar.

Jae-Seong Hwang jsonhng@donga.com