Spare A Moment For Victims of Piracy
The humanitarian tragedy caused by the blight of Somali piracy received increasing attention during 2011 with international political figures calling for action. Seafarers' trauma of being held in captivity, threats and abuse, and deaths on all too many occasions has been a regular headline throughout the year.
The fate of merchant ship crews held hostage, is particularly pertinent during the holiday time of year, says EUNAVFOR, and goes on to say it is not often considered or reported. However, the trauma stays with the victims and their families long after they are released, and whilst the shipping community moves onto the next debate on responses needed to stop piracy, the suffering for the mariners does not stop there.
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| Seafarers' Charities (Photo: HSG) |
Granted, greater action has been taken to highlight the suffering of the seafarer, and the help and support that is now available continues to improve and gain further public attention through such campaigns as Save Our Seafarer, Seafarer Help.org and the most recent, a cross-industry Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP) to address the problems facing seafarers and their families, but as a new year begins, it is worth remmbering those who have died as a consequence of piracy in 2011.
The victims are not all seafarers, and not all the seafarers are professional sailors, nevertheless, the effect on family and friends is profound. Sixty seafarers are recorded as having died as a result of captivity at the hands of Somali pirates; the roll call for 2011 shows that the problem has not become any nearer to an acceptable solution. Not all names have been made available and the list is in no particular order:
- Marie Dedieu; 66 year-old, disabled French tourist kidnapped from Kenya;
- Christian Colombo; French yachtsman killed during the hijack of SY Tribal Kat. His wife, Evelyne, held hostage was rescued by naval forces;
- 4 Americans - Jean and Scott Adam, Phyllis Mackay and Bob Riggle; killed after SY Quest was hijacked, and negotiations were being conducted with a US warship in the vicinity;
- David Tebbutt; British tourist killed during the kidnap of his wife, Judith, from a holiday resort in Kenya;
- Filipino Bosun and 2 others; [Beluga] Nomination. Killed in retaliation as a consequence of a rescue attempt, and one drowned whilst escaping; (mystery still surrounds the incident);
- Wu Lai Yu; Master of hijacked Jih Chun Tsai 68. Killed in crossfire, despite ransom having been paid;
- 2 Indian sailors - Akbarali Mamad Sanghar (Captain) and Jakku Suleiman Sandi of Tiba-2 Halima following rescue mission by the Royal Omani Navy;
- 6 sailors - died of unspecified illnesses - abandoned FV Prantalay 12;
- 1 sailor - one of six sailors taken from crew-disabled MV Leopard (abandoned vessel picked up by Turkish navy);
- 2 sailors - reported to have died from MV Asphalt Venture crew members kept behind when the vessel was released after ransom payment.
Many statements of 'reaching the end of our tether' have been made over the past year, but a wholly internationally coordinated response remains out of step with the needs of those wishing to freely navigate the seas off the Horn of Africa and Indian Ocean. Not too dissimliar scenarios are being played out in other globabl regions, but spare a moment, as 2012 gets underway, to remember those innocent individuals who have lost their lives because of unscrupulous and relatively unchecked criminals at sea.
OCEANUSLive.org
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