Maritime terrorism includes any violent act with political ends against “ships, cargo and passengers, ports and port facilities and critical maritime infrastructure” (European Commission, 2014). The Asia Pacific (CSCAP) Working Group has offered an extensive definition that includes “… the undertaking of terrorist acts and activities within the maritime environment, using or against vessels or fixed platforms at sea or in port, or against any one of their passengers or personnel, against coastal facilities or settlements, including tourist resorts, port areas and port towns or cities” (quoted in Chalk, 2008, p. 8). These definitions, although not globally accepted, nonetheless contribute to the better understanding of the threat and form the basis to further discuss and debate the nature, typology, and implications of the phenomenon.

As of ...