Kidnap Demands

The Somali pirates holding seven Indian crew of “MT Asphalt Venture” hostage have refused to negotiate with the ship owners and insisted they would engage only with the government authorities.

In a move which further shifts piracy into the political/terrorism arena, “The pirates are refusing to deal with us…they want to talk only with the government,” a representative of the company said.

When piracy becomes a sovereign issue rather than one of simply industry, then it would seem that changes will come sooner rather than later. It seems such moves by the pirates may be a tactical error, as without pressure such as this governments are clearly loathe to get embroiled. The pirates are pushing things to a head.