Sulu sultanate marks 50th anniversary of Manila accord

MANILA, Philippines - Fifty years ago, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia signed a Manila accord for the peaceful resolution of the Philippine claim to Sabah.

On Wednesday, the Sultanate of Sulu silently observed the 50th anniversary of the 1963 accord.

Abraham Idjirani, sultanate secretary-general and spokesman, said the government could have invoked the accord in the peaceful resolution of the March standoff between the sultanate’s army and Malaysian forces in Lahad Datu, Sabah.

“The Aquino administration does not even bother to celebrate it as the government may be guilty celebrating the services of our country against the services of Malaysia which it defended during the March standoff,” Idjirani said. 

The Federation of Malaya, Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of the Philippines signed the Manila accord on July 31, 1963 after a meeting on June 7-11, 1963 in Manila, he said.

Idjirani said those facing charges in Malaysia are not members of the sultanate’s army but Malaysian citizens of Tausug origin.

“The Malaysian government is using its Internal Security Act in going after civilians they suspect of being supporters of the sultanate,” he said.

The last skirmishes took place last June 16-18 after Malaysian forces tried to penetrate their jungle stronghold, Idjirani said.

Last month, the sultanate accused Malaysia of violating the 1963 Manila accord in a complaint before the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights following the arrest of a nephew of Sultan Jumamul Kiram III and other civilians who were not involved in the standoff and in the series of fighting in Lahad Datu early this year.

The letter-complaint, filed with the UN office in Makati City, detailed alleged human rights violations of Malaysian forces against civilians suspected of providing support to the sultanate’s royal army.

It cited the arrest of Datu Amirbahar Kiram who was not involved in the standoff, as a clear violation of the treaty.

Under the accord, the three countries agreed to abide by the wishes of the people of North Borneo (now Sabah and Labuna) and Sarawak, within the context of the UN General Assembly Resolution 1541 (XV), Principle 9 of the Annex, taking into account referendums in North Borneo and Sarawak that would be free and without coercion.