S-E Asia waters under threat from pirates again

[KUALA LUMPUR] A spate of daring high-seas attacks off South-east Asia is stoking fears that its vital shipping lanes could once again become a hotspot for piracy unless regional powers act fast.

For centuries, pirates were the scourge of the Malacca Strait - the strategic channel between Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore through which a third of global trade now passes.

They were largely put out of business about five years ago by stepped-up patrols.