[BITList] Fwd: Lloyd's List: Send to Colleague HUMAN RIGHTS FOR PIRATES !

[Michael Feltham]

Begin forwarded message:

From: enquiries at lloydslist.com
Date: 19 September 2008 05:22:13 BST
To: mj.feltham at madasafish.com
Subject: Lloyd's List: Send to Colleague


The below article was sent to you from Mike Feltham (mj.feltham at madasafish.com 
) with the following message: I thought you might be interested in the  
article below.

Why are we prioritising thugs’ human rights?
Friday 19 September 2008

 From CR Kelso,SIR, After some 42 years of plying the trade routes of  
the world under the Red Ensign, comforted by the belief that in the  
event of being attacked in inter-national waters, my right of innocent  
passage would be assured by the Royal Navy, it has been devastating to  
read that ransoms for seafarers could rocket to $50m (Lloyd’s List,  
September 15).

The article asserts that “British Foreign Office officials are  
understood to have advised the Royal Navy not to confront or arrest  
pirates in the region for fear of transgressing human rights  
legislation or encouraging their seeking asylum once taken to the UK”.  
If there is a vestige of truth in this understanding then, as a nation  
we should hang our heads in shame, give thanks for French President  
Nicolas Sarkozy and bring our naval ships home without further  
humiliating their complement.

French chief of staff Jean-Louis Georgelin has, with government  
support, demonstrated his readiness to defeat this rabble of barbaric  
thugs and it would surely make sense to appoint him to command the  
coalition force and let him get on with it. Once determination  
replaces shambolic indecision and political cowardice, other nations  
will rally to the cause and an adequate naval force will be assembled  
— even if the Royal Navy plays no part in it.

The ransom demands are increasing day by day as is the belief that  
much of this money is making its way to the Islamic insurgents killing  
our soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. That being the case, surely this  
shameful advice is, in part, contributing to prolonging those  
struggles and more casualties.

Granted, in recent years this government has shown scant regard for  
British seafarers, or the Red Ensign, but to put the human rights of  
murdering Somali pirates before the lives of our seafarers — indeed  
the life of any seafarer — is surely scraping the bottom of the  
bucket. No doubt Numast and the RMT will advise their members  
accordingly.Capt CR Kelso (Rtd)SouthamptonSO31 8DB

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