THE Singaporean vessel SV Kalpindo I is docked at the Indonesian Navy Base in Tanjung Pinang, Riau. Three men clean the ship's deck and treat its rusting hull. An Indonesian naval officer watches them. "I have been assigned to guard this ship," he explains.

The SV Kalpindo is a medium-sized ship—some 45 meters long and 7 meters wide, and boasts a 260-ton capacity. However, the ship has been confined to the naval base after being