JULKIFLI had not finished showering his soapy body when the engine alarm of his tugboat rang. In a second, the engine broke down. Out of curiosity, wearing only shorts, this skinny man stood on tiptoes to peek out at the deck. His heart was pounding: a band of men was holding his fellow crewmen at gunpoint.

"I realized instantly we had been attacked," said the young seaman. In fact, to avoid just such an incident all the lights aboard—in