Conflation of Piracy and Terrorism in Southeast Asia: Rectitude and Utility

Since 11 September 2001, the conflation of "piracy" and "terrorism" in Southeast Asia has become common in the mass media and government policy statements. The root causes and factors which enable piracy and terrorism are indeed similar, and the perpetrators' tactics overlap at the high end of piracy, i.e., ship seizure and hostage taking. However, the objectives of pirates and terrorists are different, and solutions should be fitted to the particular problem. Responses include self-help and foreign naval assistance. But patrols or pursuits by foreign navies in Southeast Asian waters would raise sovereignty concerns. Thus foreign assistance in the building of indigenous maritime enforcement capacity appears to be a more viable long-term solution.