Kris-Crossing Mindanao
The dollars and sense of it
By Noralyn MustafaAt no time since its foundation in the 15th century has the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo been so much in the news.
At no time since its foundation in the 15th century has the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo been so much in the news.
I am amused by the flag-waving and saber-rattling of some of our countrymen obsessed with that resource-rich land south of Sulu known as Sabah. While I do not pass judgment on the veracity of historical documents that may tip the scale of evidence of ownership and even sovereignty in our favor, I question the wisdom of a claim that has no chance of winning in the most supreme court of all: the sentiments and views of the inhabitants of Sabah.
Noralyn Mustafa’s April 1 column, “The lies that bind us,” is verily a pointed segue to her preceding column, “What a bloody tangled web” (Inquirer, 3/18/13) which mentioned the “Sabah standoff.”
We can only hope that the gains achieved in the Mindanao peace process will not be wasted by the revival of the Sultanate of Sulu’s claim to Sabah.
Why did the United Kingdom so easily cede its sovereignty over Sabah to Malaysia in 1963 despite knowing that its rights over the territory arose merely from the lease granted by the Sultan of Sulu to the British North Borneo Company? Why did it ignore the Philippine claim and voluntarily relinquish its sovereignty over Sabah to the new emerging state of Malaysia?
The Pulse Asia survey results suggest that President Aquino continues to enjoy high approval ratings (68 percent )and trust ratings (70 percent) despite a storm of criticism for his handling of the conflict between the Philippines and Malaysia over the landing of the Sultan of Sulu’s armed followers in Sabah on Feb. 9. It must [...]
Malaysia is treating us like dirt, one says, and we are taking it like wimps. The Malaysians are acting like they are our master, says another, and government is bowing to it. Malaysia is massacring Filipinos with impunity, says still another, and government will not rage and rail over it. Malaysia has grabbed a part of Philippine territory, says still another, and government has ceded it altogether. We should not call it “Team PNoy,” says still another, we should call it “Team Malaysia.”
Malaysia has warned Philippine media organizations that they could face charges for feeding the public with false reports on the offensive operations against Sultan Jamalul Kiram III’s forces now in Sabah.
I am a high school student in Manila, but I am very concerned about what is happening to our countrymen in Sabah. When I think of the children and the young people there, who must be terrified after the sudden disruption of their normal routine, I feel very sad because they, their families, their way of life are being affected.
Thirty-five followers of the sultan of Sulu, who were intercepted by the Philippine Navy in the Sulu Sea on Wednesday while fleeing the search and exterminate mopping-up operations of Malaysian security forces in Sabah, have fallen into the arms of Philippine authorities poised to charge them with criminal offenses.
Two events this past week may mark a turning point in the Sabah dispute. The first was when the Philippine government called upon its Malaysian counterpart to “clarify” reports about human rights abuses by Malaysian security forces on our nationals. The second was when the Malaysian government barred Filipino journalists from entering Sabah, only to relent a day later and allow them access to evacuation camps. These show that both sides realize that there is a global audience they must address and global standards of justice they need to satisfy.
President Benigno Aquino’s handling of the Sabah situation has been dismal. First of all, how could a President lose a letter from a sultan? Was it really lost, or it’s just that President Aquino doesn’t care enough about it? But that was just the first error—everything that happened and has been happening after that just aggravated the crisis, and this is simply not acceptable.
