Piracy and robbery in the Asian Seas
Piracy and maritime robbery are old phenomena. Various academics have looked into the problem without having found effective means to combat the offenses so far, mainly as they - the scattered researchers working on this topic - do not have access to the necessary information that will arise from systematic research by the different research fields. The IIAS and the Centre for Maritime Research (MARE) are currently identifying issues and concerns, and are delineating core elements of an interdisciplinary IIAS-MARE research agenda on piracy and robbery at sea in Asia.
Programme director: Dr J. Kleinen and Manon Osseweijer
Acts of piracy loom particularly large in Asian waters, with the bulk of all officially reported incidents of maritime piracy occurring in South East Asia during the 1990s. South East Asian waters are particularly risky, a factor which is of serious concern for international shipping, as the sea lanes between East Asia, the Middle East, and Europe pass through South East Asia.
This research programme encourages the study on historical and contemporary piracy in Asia and attract attention to this topic from not only academics but also the corporate sector and national government organisations and politicians in the Netherlands and in Asia. The objectives of the network are:
1. To communicate with national and international sectors interested in maritime piracy and robbery in Asia. Beside contacts with academic colleagues at research institutes, the programme is in touch with branch organizations that represent seafarers, captains and shipowners, port authorities, Navy, and commercial businesses.
2. To facilitate research undertaken by scholars with various disciplinary backgrounds, from the social sciences to the humanities to law and criminology. IIAS and MARE welcome both junior and senior researchers, who have an interest in piracy and its implications in the coastal zones of Asia and would either start a research project or continue to work on their current projects. For travel grants or subsidies regarding short visits to Asia, IIAS and MARE facilitate by helping with the application.
3. To organize workshops for academics and non-academics, such as Navy, Police, Port Authorities, Politicians, and corporate sector. IIAS and MARE have been organizing these workshops with the intention to provide forums for participants with various professional backgrounds to discuss certain issues or perspectives regarding piracy in Asia.
4. To publish research results and revised workshop papers in the IIAS-ISEAS Series Maritime Issues and Piracy in Asia.
