A TASK force should be established by Hongkong and China to tackle the growing piracy problem in the important shipping lanes of the South China Sea, a senior official at the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) suggested yesterday.
Mr Mohammed Zaini, a technical officer with the organisation's anti-piracy centre in Kuala Lumpur, said the territory must press the mainland to play a more active role in dealing with the threat posed by pirates preying on merchant ships in and around Hongkong waters because the situation was deteriorating.
''It would seem to me that whatever liaison there is between Hongkong and China at present, it isn't effective,'' he said.
''Piracy cases seem to be increasing in the area between Hainan Island and Hongkong while the problems in the Malacca Straits are diminishing.
''The boats are almost certainly coming from China so it is logical to address the problem there first. It is surely in Hongkong's interest to pressure China into getting tougher on this issue.'' Mr Zaini added: ''It is clear that whoever is behind these acts of piracy is using the fact that the Hongkong security organisations cannot operate out of their territorial waters apart from on search and rescue missions.
''The Hongkong authorities must be very frustrated by the situation and I am sure that they would like to be able to go out of the territorial waters in order to protect shipping.'' Mr Zaini said it would be ''interesting'' to see China's response to any approach by Hongkong to set up a joint maritime force.
''It is widely believed that undisciplined Chinese security people are to blame for at least some of the piracy cases in the northern area of the South China Sea.'' A Security Branch spokesman said China was already working with the territory on marine security.