It’s been quite a busy news day in the UK, so it’s perhaps
not surprising that there’s not a lot of coverage of what’s going on in North
Borneo. But for anyone who thought that the story of The White Rajah belonged to a completely different age, it might be
worth checking out who the Sultan of Sulu is.
The Sultanate of Sulu was founded in 1457, but it’s a long
time since it was recognised as an independent state. The old Sultanates are
obviously just part of history, irrelevant to the 21st century.
Except that, on 11 February 2013, over 200 Filipinos arrived in Sabah state to reclaim
it on behalf of the Sultanate.
This all sounds like a protest that could be safely ignored,
and for almost a month, the Malaysian government did their best to ignore it.
Then, this morning, fighter jets, infantry and armour went in.
So, over 150 years after James Brooke gained Sarawak in a
war between different factions in Borneo’s ruling elite, the fighting
continues.
For more information, check out http://www.interaksyon.com/article/56376/malaysia-launches-massive-assault-vs-sulu-sultanates-followers-in-lahad-datu
For the latest news (courtesy of Associated Press) check http://news.yahoo.com/filipino-gunmen-seek-ceasefire-malaysia-borneo-070349574.html
ReplyDeleteJust been chatting to Viviena Teng in Sarawak. Apparently, fighting there continues. Sabah (in the north, where it's all happening) is oil rich and oil, as we all know, attracts trouble. So far, according to her, around 12 government troops and police and 38 rebels have died. Yet news sources around the world remain strangely silent.
ReplyDeleteLocal news reports suggest a slightly higher death toll overall, citing 56 gunmen and 10 security forces.
ReplyDelete