Pirates (2004)

WDR 5/Deutschlandfunk

According to the statistics of the "International Maritime Bureau" in London ship-hijacking decreased in 2003. In spite of that piracy has increased worldwide. One of the most important routes for world trade is affected by that: Malakka, the sea lane between Indonesia and Malaysia. But even in the Red Sea, on the West-African coasts and at the South-American harbours you can still find piracy nowadays. The inroads are more brutal than before, and the number of victims constantly increases. But as long as the economical damage isn't too high, the international community of states cannot be made to act.

The announcer of the International Transport Federation expresses his fear: "In order to make them fight against piracy, I guess, a tanker ship probably must be captured for terroristic intentions first."

Piracy benefits from poverty-stricken countries, corrupt authorities and civil wars. But even the major and powerful countries don't seem to care when pirates impinge upon their rights at sea.