Thu, June 14, 2012
By Zhao Wei, Sina English
A Taiwanese fishing vessel with 10 Chinese on board was kidnapped by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean on March 26, 2012. There is no further action of rescue after the pirates held them captive for almost three months.
According to a report by a Taiwan media, a fishing vessel named “Yongchang” had been out of contact off the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Seychelles since March 26 and was likely seized by Somali pirates.
The report was confirmed the next day as the Taiwanese captain was killed.
The standoff has been lasting for three months as the Somali pirates asked for a ransom of 20 million US dollars to free the ship and crew while the owner of the ship just agreed to pay 150 thousand US dollars instead.
This isn't the first time a Chinese ship has fallen victim to Somali pirates:
On May 6, 2010, a Taiwanese ship “Tai Yuan 227”, with a crew of 28, including nine Chinese, three Vietnamese, three Philippine, seven Kenyans and two Mozambicans, was seized by Somali pirates in an area north of the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Seychelles as it headed for the Maldives.
On Nov. 14, 2008, a Chinese fishing vessel Tianyu No. 8 was seized by Somali pirates while fishing off the coast of Kenya.
On 28 May 2007, a Chinese sailor was killed by the pirates because the ship's owners failed to meet their ransom demand.
