Chinese sailor recalls terror of Somali kidnapping

BEIJING: A Chinese sailor who spent 202 days being held by pirates off the coast of Somalia has told of his fear and horror while in captivity, with the worst moment coming when one of his crewmates was murdered. "I will never go back to sea," Jiang Lichun, 25, was quoted as saying in the state-run China Daily newspaper on Monday. Pirates took control of a Taiwan-registered fishing vessel, with Jiang and 10 other crew members on board, as it was sailing 220 nautical miles off Somalia's coast on April 18 last year. Jiang said the heavily armed pirates came aboard from three speedboats, and appeared to know exactly what to do as they had the crew inside the captain's room within a few minutes. "I heard the captain scream 'run'," Jiang said, but added there was no time to react after the pirates fired gunshots. .more..http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/400278/1/.html
How to end pirates' scourge
organizations is gaining success in their effort to combat pirates in the Gulf of Aden, opposite Somalia, where a large number of ships have been seized. The cooperation is a tribute to the high value the world places on freedom of navigation. Among the nations contributing ships, aircraft and personnel to the Gulf of Aden anti-piracy operation are India, Iran, China, Russia, Malaysia, the United States, and, within the European Union, Britain, France, Italy, Germany and others. Japan is expected to join soon. The anti-piracy measures in the Gulf of Aden, which include convoys, are managed and coordinated by a unique new organization headed by the European Union.
Notices to mariners and other information on foiling piracy are also available from the International Maritime Bureau of the International Chamber of Commerce and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a branch of the United Nations. more.http://www.charleston.net/news/2009/jan/05/how_end_pirates_scourge67233/