Armed and afloat

摘要

The rapid increase in private floating armouries and proliferation of small arms in the Indian Ocean is causing concern among countries in the region, leading to calls for better regulation and monitoring. There are almost 140 private maritime security companies (PMSCs) operating in the North Indian Ocean, which hire out sea marshals who provide onboard protection for cargo ships against Somali pirates, as well as thousands of small arms at sea at any given time. Indian naval chief Admiral D K Joshi drew attention to the problem at the 'Galle Dialogue' maritime security forum hosted by Sri Lanka at the southern port town last November.