Are Pirates Human Rights Victims?

Artwork by Matt Rota

Our maritime podcasting partner, Peter Mello of Sea-Fever.org points us to this must read article in the NYTimes. He writes:

John S. Burnett, author of Dangerous Waters: Modern Piracy and Terror on the High Seas wrote an interesting Op Ed essay for today’s – April 20, 2008 – Sunday NY Times entitled Captain Kidd, Human-Rights Victim. Please read it. Burnett compares France’s recent show of force in successfully handling the hijackingof the French luxury cruise ship La Ponant off the coast of Somalia to the British Foreign Office’s directorate to the Royal Navy not to detain any pirate because doing so would violate human rights. Pirates can claim UK asylum – The Sunday Times (UK) April 13, 2008. High seas piracy remains a big problem for mariners around the world. Here’s a link to the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau’s Weekly Piracy Report which demonstrates the frequency, seriousness and breadth of this issue. Below you will find their 2008 High Risk Areas. (Click here for direct access to map.)

Of Note:

• Read Sea-Fever’s full post HERE
• After clicking through the above links be sure to check out the must read National Geographic article on piracy titled The Straight of Malacca – A Dark Passage.
• Note: To view our past post on the topic of pirates of the high seas click on our tag Piracy or ISPS
• In the news: Pirates attack Japanese tanker, Spanish boat in Gulf of Aden