Punished for being Patriots?

United States
April 22, 2010 6:59pm CST
Those Somalis are not pirates; those Somalis are vigilantes with a mission for the welfare of their nation! While Somalia has not a stable government, the Somalis are not stupid and definitely not ignorant when it comes to their rights! There are International laws that govern activities in the high seas inside and beyond the jurisdiction of Coastal Nations/Countries: *UNCLOS Article 101(a)(ii); UNCLOS Article 107; UNCLOS Article 228; *UNGA Resolution 44/225; UN Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment While these laws are expected to be implemented by the various nations, some nations and people often exempt themselves from those portions that do not please them; such as in the case of Taiwanese Chai Ding Bong who claimed “nobody has the right to tell you what you can do in International waters.” True, people ought to be free to navigate the high seas commons (provided they are not in violations of International laws) or be free to sail any body of water (provided their flag nation is not noted for violation of International marine laws). On the other hand, International laws give coastal nations the right to claim certain portions of the high seas as their territory. And while Coastal nations cannot prevent people from freely sailing the high seas commons or those portions considered their jurisdictions, Coastal nations can, by mandate of International laws, prevent violators whose acts threaten their resources 0or ecosystem. These laws, like several International Conventions, are based on a precautionary principle. Somali “piracy” which began in the early 2000s is in fact Somalis effort to deter illegal dumping, fishing and pollution. It is no secret that the US (which refused to sign the ratified Basel Convention and the major exporter of toxic wastes) and some European nations prefer to use “third world” nations as dumpsites for harmful wastes that they would not bury in their own nations. Until 1995 when the Basel Convention was ratified, making it illegal to dump toxic wastes in developing nations, several “developed” nations dumped their toxic wastes in developing nations; most in Africa. Unfortunately, even when the governments of developing nations under the original Basel Convention could accept toxic wastes, some willingly accepted without knowing the contents, seeing some were sent under false labels. The actions of the Somalis are in accordance with International laws! I believe the Somalis are simply applying Newton's Third Law of Motion, which states that action and reaction forces are equal! If there are pirates in the high seas, then I believe it is the drifters who are busy illegally fishing, dumping and polluting the environment! All the US and other nations need to do is learn to mind their various domestic business and they will not have to worry about Somali “pirates.”
3 responses
• United States
23 Apr 10
Flesh this out for me: Exactly how does capturing ships and ransoming them act against dumping? BTW: By treaty, a nation's territorial waters extend no more than 12 nautical miles from the shore. Somali pirates have committed their piracy well beyond that limit.
• United States
27 Apr 10
The Metallion, you failed to complete your readings of International marine laws: The Protective and Precautionary principles give coastal nations the power to stop violations whose activities also threaten a nation's ecosystem and/or resources - meaning that if a violator(s) were known to be about 10 nautical miles from a nation's high seas territory and yet the acts of the violators were resulting in the deprivation and/or degradation of resources, then the nation being injured has the right to do what it must to stop the violators! And as already stated, Somalia has not a stable government; these Somalis on the sea are acting as watchdogs for their nations's welfare!
• United States
27 Apr 10
That law would be relevant... ...if the Somali pirates were a duly constituted naval force acting on behalf of a government ...if they confined their activities to the zone that extends 10 nautical miles from their national waters ...if they confined their activities to ships actually engaged in activities that threaten Somali ecology and resources ...if they didn't ransom those they abducted. They fail all four tests, unless you can show that they don't venture more than 22 nautical miles form their shore, in which case they still fail on three counts. If they were to pass all four of these tests, they wouldn't be pirates at all, but a navy committing acts of war on a whole bunch of nations, and retaliatory bombing would be underway even as we speak. I'm pretty sure Somalia doesn't want the US to construe these pirates as their naval force. Somalia's lack of a stable government doesn't transform any bunch of people hopping into a boat into a navy, either. Your argument simply doesn't stand up to scrutiny.
• United States
29 Apr 10
The Metallion, remember that without a stable government those Somalis have elected themselves as a naval force and thus become watchdog for their nation. And as already said, the International Protective and Precautionary principles give coastal nations the right to prevent violators whose actions are degrading world marine resources and threaten their national resources. Under UN Conventions, an action that threatens does not have to occur within a nation's jurisdiction for a nation to react in self-defense. If hazards from action performed at a distance were resulting in the degradation of a nation's resoureces, then the injured nation is justified in taking action against violators.
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
23 Apr 10
"Somali “piracy” which began in the early 2000s is in fact Somalis effort to deter illegal dumping, fishing and pollution." Do you really believe that? I know you're big on supporting terrorists so your support of pirates doesn't surprise me. I'm just wondering if you realize that it's really about one simple thing: MONEY. They live in a piss poor country without any significant resources so when fishing isn't getting them enough money they move to piracy where they can rake in millions by capturing boats that sail under the flag of limpwristed countries without the guts to defend themselves. Now I understand why they do it. I can't conceive of what it's like to live in a hole like Somalia. The prospect of getting millions of dollars in a country like that is too much for most to resist. Add to that the fact that there is little to no risk for these pirates. Do you know what happens if a NATO flagged ship captures pirates? They feed them, put them back on their boat, and say "don't do that again". That's why NATO's a freaking joke. Oh, and don't forget, pirates really have their pick of the ladies as well. Not just from the romantic appeal of being pirates, but because they're the only people in that country with any money. http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/620853
• United States
23 Apr 10
Why not? The US and its allies have their pick on where to dump their harmful wastes and conduct their illegal activities in order to make profit! "Developed nations" are making profit at the expense of Somalis and other developing nations. So why can the Somalis not also make profit? It is a cause and effect situation, pal!
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
23 Apr 10
Somalia is not a developing nation, it's a hole. If there are issues with countries illegally dumping there, they should take that up through the United Nations. I don't see cruise ships dumping waste so why have they been victims of piracy? Do you really think piracy would end if nobody was dumping toxic waste in Somalia (and that's assuming they are to begin with)?
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
23 Apr 10
Funny, it's been all over the news since this started that these thugs hold ships for ransom...money...cash...moolah. Many ships are even insured for this. It's an ugly business but it's nothing more than that to them.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
23 Apr 10
Patriots my horse's butt! These are thieves...nothing more...nothing less. They STEAL...they hurt innocent people. Where Chloé and Florent Lemaçon and their three year old son, Colin, illegally fishing, dumping or polluting the environment when they were attacked?
• United States
27 Apr 10
Spalladino, you and I do not know what these folks in fact do when they go by these coastal nations, especially the Somali coast. I have lived in Africa and know that Africans in Africa are a very friendly and welcoming people. I believe that even the actions of these Somali "pirates" are in reaction to disrespect from these visiting vessels. Those Somalis would not attack and seize those vessels if they did not have just cause to do so! Check-out the following sample report: Crew blames captain for attack - http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/03/national/main5876439.shtml