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Article: Enhancing maritime security in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
- Article from:
- Journal of International Affairs
- Article date:
- September 22, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Columbia University School of International Public Affairs. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Straits of Malacca and Singapore are the main seaway connecting the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea and together are the shortest route for tankers trading between the Middle East and Far East Asian countries. Consequently, traffic transiting the region is considerably heavy, reported to be approximately 60,000 vessels a year. In addition, there are a considerable number of local vessels engaged in trade across the straits; numerous fishing vessels can be encountered in most areas.
The narrowest point of this shipping lane is 1.2 miles wide, located near Batu Berhanti, in the Singapore Strait; it creates a natural bottleneck, with the potential for ...