The Singapore and Melaka Straits are a place where regional and long-distance maritime trading networks converge, linking Europe, the Mediterranean, eastern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent with key centres of trade in Thailand, Indochina, insular Southeast Asia, China, Korea and Japan. The first half of the 17th century brought heightened political, commercial and diplomatic activity to this region. It had long been clear to both the Portuguese and the Dutch that whoever controlled the waters off modern Singapore gained a firm grip on regional as well as long-distance intra-Asian trade. By the early 1600s Portuguese power and prestige were waning and the arrival of the Dutch East India Company constituted a major threat. Moreover, the rapid expansion and growing power of the Acehnese Empire, and rivalry between Johor and Aceh, was creating a new context for European trade in Asia.

This comparative study of piracy and maritime violence provides a fresh understanding of European overseas expansion and colonisation in Asia. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

This is the only cruising guide covering Southeast Asia in detail. This volume covers Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Singapore & the Malacca Strait to Phuket. The text provides sailing directions supported by detailed black and white sketch charts and harbour plans. Climate and weather are discussed at length and there is a valuable section on tropical storms and typhoons. Other topics include countries, cultures, and politics. Cruising Guide to Southeast Asia is a unique source of information not only for the cruising yachtsmen but also for anyone planning to visit this diverse and fascinating area.

Maritime piracy continues to persist as a significant phenomenon manifesting a range of social, historical, geo-political, security and economic issues. Today, the waters of Southeast Asia serve as the dominant region for the occurrence of piracy and the challenges it poses to regional security and Malacca Straits security. As a second installment within the Series on Maritime Issues and Piracy in Asia by the International Institute of Asian Studies, Leiden University, and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, the authors of this volume add fresh perspectives to the ongoing debate about piracy, the threat of maritime terrorism, and the challenge of securing the Malacca Straits today.

Special focus: ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING LAW AS AN ADDED MEASURE TO COMBAT ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED AND UNREGULATED FISHING IN MALAYSIA Description: Combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a huge challenge since fish is traded with high financial returns which attracts irresponsible individuals, criminals and large consortiums to invest considerable amount of money with minimum risk of being indicted for fisheries crimes. Content: - Editorial - From the Bridge - Special Focus: Anti-Money Laundering Law as an Added Measure to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing in Malaysia (Ganesan Vethiah & Mohd Yazid Zul Kepli) - Bay of Bengal to Taiwan Strait: Maritime “Global Hotspot” (Vivian Louis Forbes) - The Impact of Alternate Sea Lanes on The Strait of Malacca (Alif Hidayat) - Malaysia Halal Port’s: Opportunities and Challenges (Mazlinawati Abdul Majid) - Datuk Dr. Sabirin Ja’afar: After a Year as Director- General (Huda Mahmoud) - Calendar of Events - MIMA Events

Southeast Asia contains some of the world's busiest shipping waters, particularly the Indonesian archipelago, the Straits of Malacca and South China Sea. The natural geography and human ecology of maritime Southeast Asia makes the area particularly apt for piracy. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that these waters are also the world's most pirate-infested, accounting for over a third of the total number of pirate attacks world-wide. The figures have increased in recent years, as transnationally organized crime syndicates have extended their activities in the area. Meanwhile, the capacity of the state authorities in the region to suppress piracy appears to have declined, fuelling suspicions that sections of the maritime authorities are colluding with some of the organized pirate gangs that they are supposed to be combating. Not surprisingly, piracy has a long history in the region, and in several instances during the last 250 years, pirates have disrupted peaceful trade and communications. This text traces the shifting character and development of Southeast Asian piracy from the 18th century to the present day, demonstrating how political, economic, social and technological factors have contributed to change - but have by no means exterminated - the phenomenon. -- Description from http://www.amazon.co.uk (Oct. 19, 2011).