Newsletter No. 502
News-Analysis
January 31, 2007

 

The following newsletter has been contributed by Sandra R. Leavitt (Shingetsu Member No. 55) of Georgetown University.

JAPAN’S COAST GUARD JOINS ANTI-PIRACY EXERCISES OFF MALAYSIA AND THAILAND

As part of increased regional cooperation on combating piracy and terrorism, the maritime agencies of Japan, Malaysia and Thailand will hold joint exercises on February 2 in the waters off of Phuket, Thailand, and Langkawi, Malaysia. The Japanese embassy in Kuala Lumpur reported that the exercises will take place in Thai waters, not mentioning scheduled joint exercises off Malaysia as other news reports have done.

After arriving in northern Malaysia on January 30, the Japan Coast Guard vessel Yashima will carry out anti-piracy exercises with three vessels and supporting aircraft from Malaysia’s maritime police as well as five vessels from Thailand’s maritime enforcement agency.

The exercises are designed to “strengthen close ties among the three countries' maritime security agencies and help build their ability to uphold safety and security at sea,” according to press statements released by the Malaysian government.

The Japanese embassy reports similar objectives in stating that "Yashima's visit to the Southeast Asian region is to promote international collaboration and cooperation in strengthening measures to combat armed robbery at sea in line with the Asia Maritime Security Initiative 2004."

The Japan Coast Guard was founded in 1948 and is organizationally located under Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, not the Ministry of Defense. With over 12,000 personnel and its own academy, the Japan Coast Guard had until the early 1990s focused on defending Japan’s coastline, participating in sea rescue missions, and mapping Japanese maritime resources. After the Cold War and increased external aggression by North Korea, the JCG began building relationships with regional coast guards.

Ties with Southeast Asian agencies began in 1994. The increase in cooperation has been gradual. It began with relationship-building meetings and the exchange of logistical and technical support, expanded into Southeast Asian agents training at the Japan Coast Guard Academy, and eventually included joint exercises with Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.

On January 1, 2006, the Japan Coast Guard opened its Piracy Countermeasures Office in order to further expand anti-piracy cooperation with regional counterparts. In August 2006, Japan hosted officials from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand to discuss terrorism at sea.