Thailand seeks clarification on sinking of "pirate" ship (Roundup)

Nov 26, 2008, 5:55 GMT

   Bangkok - Thailand sought a clarification from the Indian Navy on its sinking of an alleged pirate ship last week off the coast of Somalia after evidence emerged that the ship was a Thai vessel, officials said Wednesday.

   'We have asked the Indian authorities to help us verify the ownership of the vessel and then clarify their rules of engagement,' said Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat.

   The Indian Navy frigate INS Tabar sank a suspected pirate vessel November 18 in the Gulf of Aden.

   The vessel is now believed to be the Ekawat Nava 5, registered in Kiribati, an island nation in the South Pacific, but owned by Thai national Wicharn Sirichaiekawat.

   A spokesman for the Indian Navy said no communication had been received from the Thai government on the incident.

   'Our intention was not to destroy the vessel,' the spokesman said in Delhi. 'We asked the ship to stop. It did not and fired on the INS Tabar. We then fired back in self-defence.'

   Asked about the Indian Navy's rules of engagement regarding firing on a ship which may have captive sailors from another country, the spokesman said, 'In this situation how are we to know? We had to fire in self-defence.'

   The Thai Foreign Ministry said it was convinced the vessel was in fact the Ekawat Nava 5, whose owner had lost contact with it on November 18 while it was in the Gulf of Aden. One of the crewmen, a Cambodian who survived the attack, provided details of the incident from his hospital bed in Yemen, Tharit said.

   According to Wicharn, the ship had a crew of 15 Thais and one Cambodian on board when it was attacked. He said the ship was en route from Oman to Yemen to deliver fishing equipment when it was first attacked by pirates and then attacked by the Indian Navy.

   'The ship was raided by pirates, and all of the crew members were tied up when the Indian Navy attacked, according to the survivor,' Tharit said.

   Thailand has sought a clarification from India on whether its navy frigate attempted to assist any of the survivors after it sank the vessel.

   'We are still awaiting their answer,' Tharit said.

   The Indian government said last week the INS Tabar sank a pirate vessel that had fired on it.

   The Tabar had spotted a pirate vessel 285 nautical miles, or 528 kilometres, south-west of Salalah, Oman, and asked the vessel to stop for investigations, it said.

   The vessel's response 'was that she would blow up the naval warship if it closed in on her,' a government statement said.

   'Pirates were seen roaming on the upper deck ... with guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers,' it said. 'The vessel continued its threatening calls and subsequently fired on INS Tabar.'

   The Indian warship retaliated, leading to a fire and an explosion that sank the other vessel.