UN: End Sabah violence

MANILA, Philippines - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called yesterday for an end to violence in Sabah, where clashes between Malaysian forces and armed followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III have left up to 60 people dead.

The UN chief also said he “encourages dialogue among all the parties for a peaceful resolution of the situation.”

“He urges all parties to facilitate delivery of humanitarian assistance and act in full respect of international human rights norms and standards,” Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement. 

Kiram declared a unilateral ceasefire in response to Ban’s call. Although Malaysia rejected a ceasefire, Kiram declared a “cessation of hostilities.” He told his followers to end the fighting and urged Malaysia to stop attacking positions of his “royal sultanate army.”

The sultan urged Malaysia to reciprocate his action in the name of Islamic tolerance.

He asked his brother, Agbimuddin Kiram, to take a defensive stand in Lahad Datu.

Agbimuddin led some 300 men – some armed – across the Sulu Sea to settle in Sabah and assert sovereignty over  the territory.

Despite Malaysia’s rejection of Kiram’s ceasefire offer, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Philippine government would continue to explore ways to prevent further bloodshed and loss of livelihood.

“Our aim has not changed. We will explore all possibilities to save lives and avoid bloodshed. The suggestion of a unilateral ceasefire (appears) to be one of the options,” the DFA said in a statement.

Malaysia ignored on Tuesday the Philippines’ request for maximum tolerance in dealing with Kiram’s followers and launched on the same day massive ground and air assault on the Filipinos in Lahad Datu.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario flew to Kuala Lumpur on Monday to personally convey the Philippines’ request to his Malaysian counterpart Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and to continue discussions on how to avert further loss of lives.

His requests included the establishment by Malaysia of a “safety corridor” for the children, women and civilians not involved in the hostility between the sultan’s followers and Malaysian authorities.

The DFA said Malaysia was considering the request but had not issued an official response.

Another Philippine request was for Malaysia to allow a humanitarian ship to dock in Lahad Datu. 

The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) welcomed the UN’s entering the picture.

“We are very happy because this has been our repeated call, appealing for the intervention of the United Nations,” said Habib Mujahab Hashim, MNLF’s Islamic Command Council (ICC) chairman.

Hashim also appealed to the MNLF forces preparing to cross over to Sabah to abandon their plan.

“We appeal to our brothers to immediately stand down any of its action and those who have intent to reinforce not to go,” Hashim said.

Peacekeepers needed

With Malaysia’s rejection of the Sulu sultanate’s ceasefire offer, the UN should consider deploying peacekeeping forces in Sabah to prevent further bloodshed, the MNLF also said.

“We are hoping the UN will deploy a buffer force,” MNLF spokesman Emmanuel Fontanilla said in a text message to The STAR.

He said that the sultanate’s forces may be forced to fight back if Malaysian forces try to finish them off once and for all.

He said such campaign by Malaysian forces would be very costly because the sultanate’s forces were trained in real battle in Mindanao, as many of them had fought the Philippine government as members of the MNLF.

Furthermore, they know the terrain of Sabah, having trained in the territory for decades.

“They’re used to dealing with jet fighters as well as ground and naval bombardments and the only way to end the fighting is for both parties to sit down and talk,” Fontanilla said, adding that Malaysia would be facing a bigger security problem if it refuses to talk peace with the sultanate.

He said the same thing should also be expected by the Aquino administration for its “mishandling” of the Sabah conflict.

Malaysia said it would only agree to a ceasefire if the sultanate’s fighters surrender unconditionally.

“Surrender? It’s unacceptable. They will fight to the death. For the Tausug fighters it’s victory or graveyard,” Fontanilla said.

Another MNLF official who declined to be named said that with the turn of events, Lahad Datu is emerging as a guerilla front. 

“Sabah is going to be a real headache for the Malaysians. The Malaysians have opened an insurgency problem in Sabah by firing the first shot,” the MNLF official said.

He also said that if Malaysia is really winning in the frontline, it should immediately lift the news blackout and let the world know the real score. With Roel Pareño, Jaime Laude