New State To Emerge
In Mindanao
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New State To Emerge
In Mindanao
Classified reports fed this newsletter from highly reliable sources pointed to one direction that a new state will be created in Mindanao, which will be composed of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, and Sabah.
Sabah is in the Federation of Malaysia, which the Philippines has a standing claim since 1962.
The claim hinges on the historical assertion of the Sultanate of Sulu that Sabah is part of its ancient territory.
The document also stated that the Philippine government is aware of this development but keeps mum on this for the moment, either for fear or it is also serving its higher or strategic interests.
A third foreign country is behind this move; in fact, a military training for what to become its army has been going on for sometime not only in Sulu but now already in Palawan, the report added.
But the foreign power behind this grand design, the reports further indicated, will use the Dansalan Declaration in 1935 to justify the creation of this new nation and state. It will also use the various treaties entered into by various Moro sultanates with foreign powers including the Wilkes Treaty in 1842 between Sulu and the United States to further argue the case.
No foreign state was categorically identified, but the reports clearly indicated that the move is tied up to the US-led war on “International terrorism”. It has something to do also with the huge deposit of oil in the Sulu Sea and in the state of Sabah.
However, the reports did not indicate whether those training in Sulu and Palawan are part of the military preparation for the so-called Royal Army of Sulu, which earlier claimed to be raising an army for the invasion of Sabah.
Malaysia, the reports also said, is aware of this serious development, which led to speculations that the massive repatriation of Filipinos from Sabah this year is directly linked to this development.
Page 8 // Maradika // November 2002- 26 Sha’ban-26 Ramadhan 1423H.
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