China mute on hijacking dilemma
- Source: Global Times
- [02:39 October 22 2009]
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By Guo Qiang
The fate of the 25 captive crew members aboard a Chinese bulk carrier hijacked in the Indian Ocean is still unknown following officials' vows to make every effort to rescue them, while their plight has turned the spotlight on how to carry out a daring rescue at sea without putting the crew at risk.
Somali pirates, who threatened to execute the entire crew if China attempts any rescue operation, have placed China in a dilemma of choosing a military rescue or paying the ransom, an international common practice, to seek the crew's release.
Chinese authorities kept tight-lipped Wednesday over the progress of the situation, while a government source told the Global Times that China hadn't dispatched the naval envoy currently patrolling the Gulf of Aden to round up pirates.
This counters earlier reports that three naval vessels were on their way and could rendezvous with the cargo ship and the Somali gunmen 700 nautical miles off the east coast of Somalia today.
The Chinese Navay had an emergency meeting in Beijing Wednesday, the source said, without revealing details.
The pirates hijacked the Chinese coal carrier, the Dexinhai, Monday morning in the Indian Ocean.
John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU Navfor Maritime Patrol, told the Global Times Wednesday that the hijacked carrier has now moved to a position 650 nautical miles from Somalia.
The China Marine Search and Rescue Center said the crew are temporarily safe and ruled out any possibility of the crew having no access to water and food in the hands of pirates, as stores onboard should be sufficient, while, saying, the ship would run out of fuel after a month.
One of the captive seamen is surnamed Sun, and is in his 50s, the Wuhan Evening Newspaper reported Wednesday. Sun's family has appealed to the government for an early rescue operation, but such action may endanger the crew's lives.
Yin Gang, an expert in African studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS), said a military operation is not a reliable choice, as it would endanger the hostages aboard.
He said deploying warships in another country's territory without approval from its government is strictly prohibited by international law.
