Sea transportation has long been a vital component of the transport systems of the world. The great majority of imports and exports to and enlarge their national merchant marines. This effort is meant partly to arrest earlier trends of having their trade carried by ships from outside the region and partly to promote regional integration and improve the national balance of payments. However, sea transportation has been exposed to various types of threats on the high seas, in coastal waters and in port areas. Piracy is any robbery or other violent action, for private ends and without authorization by public authority, committed on the seas. Because piracy has been regarded as an offense against the law of nations, the public vessels of any state have been permitted to seize a pirate ship, to bring it into port, to try the crew(regardless of their nationality or domicile), and, if found guilty, to punish them and to confiscate the ship. Piracy has occurred in all stages of maritime history. The increased size of merchant vessels, the improved naval patrolling of most ocean highways, the regular administration of most islands and land areas of the world, and the general recognition by governments of piracy as an international offense resulted in a great decline in piracy in the 19th and 20th centuries. Piracy has, however, occurred in the 20th century, and the practice of hijacking ships has developed into a new form of piracy. The number of incidents of sea piracy against ships reported was 229 in 1997. Since 1991, 1,051 such acts have been reported. The purpose of this research is to examine the origin and development of the piracy to understand the current situation of such violence on the seas. In addition, what should be done by international community will be presented to prevent the piracy in the future.

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