Michael Stevens
Korea has recently sent the Daejoyeong a 4,500-ton KDX-II destroyer, to Somali waters to replace one that has operated there under a U.S.-led multinational anti-piracy campaign since April.
Over the last year we have read in The Korea Times many articles dealing with the issue of the pirates that are plaguing the shipping routes off the coast of Somalia. Korea has joined the international effort to help resolve this dilemma by dispatching its own naval ship and military personnel in order to protect commercial ships against these pirates.
Many believe that the only effective way to deal with the increasing danger posed by Somali pirates is to do so on land ― by either arresting the pirates and/or demolishing their bases and boats. However, this may not be a viable solution given the chaotic state of the Somali government and its national military or police force.
Until recently, modern piracy was treated by the international community as a minor nuisance and at best an almost comically insignificant threat. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. The Somali pirates have come out in full force and have taken merchant ships and humanitarian aid ― unarmed vessels. This has made the rest of the world sit up and take notice. Where it was once a minor issue, we now have large groups of experts and consultants rushing to come up with solutions to what is now a legitimate threat.
Yet, what is the best way to deal with this ongoing menace?
I believe that the current method in dealing with this complex issue is truly ineffective and this fact should be said very clearly and affirmatively: There is no permanent military solution to this threat.
The money that is being spent on sending both destroyers and military personnel in order to stop these relatively small scale pirates is astronomical; yet, the money being saved by intercepting the pirates is minimal, if not non-existent.
It is like using a baseball bat to kill a mosquito. It doesn't matter how many battleships and destroyers there are off the coast of Somalia, it is truly na?ve and foolish to think that every Somali fisherman that has a speedboat and a rifle should be destroyed. Over the years these fishermen turned pirates have been increasing in number and most likely they will continue to find ways to get around the naval ships. In addition they have become more dangerous as they become more desperate.
However, even if we could capture or destroy all the Somali pirates in the region, it is more vital that we consider if we really want to operate in such a manner as to indiscriminately punish them.
We know that most Somali pirates are not hardened criminals or ruthless murderers ― unfortunately, the vast majority are fishermen who can no longer work for a number of reasons and are unable to find other employment due to the dangerous and unstable environment that is now modern Somalia.
Regrettably, the Western world has abused the absence of a stable Somali government by overfishing Somali waters and dumping toxic and nuclear waste illegally.
This has put legitimate working Somali fishermen out of a job and threatened their livelihoods, which has lead many of them to believe they are fighting against foreign oppression, and that the best way to feed their families and protect their homes is to take to the seas as pirates. Often calling themselves ``the Volunteer Coast Guard of Somalia'' ― and it's not hard to see why.
It was reported in a recent survey that over 70 percent of the Somali people strongly support piracy and believe that it was in fact a form of national defense of the country's territorial waters.
Can we really believe that starving Somalis would stand passively on their beaches; while the world dumped nuclear waste and watch as they stole their greatest natural resources? The international community didn't act on those crimes against the Somali people ― however, when the fishermen responded to this clear threat to both its people and its national sovereignty the world calls foul.
Although this is not to say that there aren't a few ruthless and opportunistic criminals among the Somali pirates ― to say otherwise would be foolish. Nevertheless, it is clear the complexity of this situation calls for a solution that is more complex and less heavy handed than the current gunboat diplomacy that is currently being implemented.
A stable and effective Somali government must be supported and propped up, and international abuse of its territorial waters must be stopped.
The international community including Korea needs to work with the government and the people of Somali to build a stable country where not only is piracy not tolerated, but not needed.
If we really want to deal with piracy, we need to stop its root cause ― other countries crimes against the Somali people ― and only then will we have a lasting and complete solution to the problem of modern piracy.
The writer is a student of Biblical studies. He can be reached at eslcity@gmail.com.