Timeline of the Sabah crisis

Timeline of the Sabah crisis

(UPDATED March 13, 2013) – Sabah on Borneo island has been the subject of a tug-of-war between descendants of a Sulu sultan and Malaysia. The crisis took a violent turn this month after Malaysian troops attacked members of the Sultanate of Sulu who arrived in Sabah on Feb. 14 to stake their claim on the island.

Here is a timeline of the events.

Feb 14, 2013 (Thursday) – Suspected Filipino gunmen numbering between 80 to 100 were cornered in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island trigerring the start of the standoff.

February 15, 2013 (Friday) – The unidentified group of gunmen introduces itself as the Royal Sulu Army reviving the longstanding claim of Sabah by the Sultanate of Sulu.

February 16, 2013 (Saturday) – Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin says the renewed claim on Sabah by the Royal Sulu Army is not sanctioned by the Philippine government.

“We made it very clear to the Malaysian authorities, especially to chief of defense forces, particularly to chief of defense force Gen. Zulkipli (Tan Sri Zulkifli Zainal Abidin) [that] this is not sanctioned and without the blessing of the government,” Gazmin said in an interview in Baguio City.

February 17, 2013 (Sunday) – Sultan Jamalul Kiram III said his followers—some 400 people with at least 20 of them armed—will not leave despite a demand from the Malaysian government that they go back to the Philippines.

“Why should we leave our own home? In fact they (the Malaysians) are paying rent (to us),” Kiram told reporters in Manila.

February 21, 2013 (Thursday) – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) renews its appeal to Kiram’s followers to withdraw peacefully from Sabah.

President Benigno Aquino III also warned the armed group that their actions may lead to conflict.

“Going there with arms is not the way to resolve this,” Aquino said in his first public comments on the issue. When you brandish arms, naturally the other side has only one way to respond to such a challenge,” Aquino said.

February 22, 2013 (Friday) – Malaysia extends the original deadline for the Kiram followers to leave by 48 hours to Sunday.

But Kiram remains firm that his Royal Army will stay in Sabah.

“Puno na ako ng ultimatum… that ultimatum kako na wala naman,” Kiram said in the television report.

February 23, 2013 (Saturday) – Malaysia adopts a “wait-and-see” approach against the Royal Sulu Army which holed up in Sabah.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said their government is aiming for a peaceful solution, adding that it was important to resolve the issue without bloodshed.

February 24, 2013 (Sunday) – As the deadline for the armed group’s surrender nears, a Philippine ship sails to Sabah on a “humanitarian mission” and is expected to arrive the following day.

“We are deeply concerned about the presence of five women and other civilians in the group, and we urge them to board the ship without delay and return home,” DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario said.

Meanwhile, as the deadline for the armed group’s surrender nears, there were reports that they are running low on food and supplies.

February 25, 2013: (Monday) – The Philippine ship on a humanitarian mission anchored off Sabah waters.

However, the spokesperson of the sultanate said that the Royal Sulu Army will not board the ship.

“Hindi sila aalis, with due apologies to the Malaysian government. Puwede lang ma-stop itong issue kung sila ay patay na dahil ang pinaglalaban dito ay hindi kapakanan ng pamilya lamang pero kapakanan ng sambayanang Pilipino,” Abraham Iridjani said.

February 26, 2013 (Tuesday) – Aquino appeals to Kiram to order his followers to go home.

“And so this is my appeal to you: These are your people, your people. It behooves you to recall them. It must be clear to you that this small group of people will not succeed in addressing your grievances, and that there is no way that force can achieve your aims,” Aquino said in a statement during the briefing.

On the other hand, Malaysian security troops got the go signal to disarm the Royal Sulu Army.

“It is only a question of right timing for us to act,” Sabah police chief Commander Datuk Hamza Taib was quoted in the report as saying.

February 27, 2013 (Wednesday) – Tensions rise as the deadline for Kiram’s followers to surrender has passed while food is running low. Still, Kiram’s followers remain defiant in staying in Sabah.

February 28, 2013 (Thursday) – Amid tensions between Kiram’s followers and the Malaysian side, Malaysian police say they won’t arrest the armed group yet.

March 1, 2013 (Friday) – Violence erupted on the 17th day of the Sabah standoff with a shootout after Malaysian security forces attempted to tighten a cordon around the armed group.

Twelve Filipinos and two Malaysian police officers were reportedly killed during the exchange of gunfire.

Meanwhile, 10 followers of Kiram reportedly surrendered while others went to the sea to escape.

March 2, 2013 (Saturday) – More bloodshed occurs with 6 Filipinos and 6 Malaysian police officers being killed in an ambush set by the Royal Sulu Army.

In the afternoon, Aquino appealed once again to the Royal Sulu Army to “surrender without condition.”

“Because of the path you have taken, what we have been trying to avoid has come to pass,” Aquino said.

March 3, 2013 (Sunday) – Malaysian cops say that three areas where firefights occurred were now under Malaysian control while a man linked to the earlier ambush was beaten to death after he tried to hostage civilians.

Mopping operations of some 300 homes in the village ended at 6:30 in the evening.

Meanwhile, Kiram’s camp claims to have captured at least four Malaysian officials including a police officer, two military officials and a local government official after the clash on Saturday.

March 4, 2013 (Monday) – Malaysia beefs up its forces in Sabah sending in an additional two army battalions as the death toll rises to 26.

Meanwhile, del Rosario met up with Malaysian officials in Kuala Lumpur to discuss a possible solution with “maximum tolerance” for the Filipino armed group in the Sabah crisis.

There were also 289 Filipinos who arrived in Mindanao after being deported from Malaysia. Most of them were women and children. A radio dzBB report quoted local social welfare officers, however, as saying the deportation was not related to the deadly clashes.

March 5, 2013 (Tuesday) – Malaysia’s patience reaches its limit as it sent out jets to bomb the hideout of Kiram’s followers in Lahad Datu, Sabah. Hundreds of troops moved in following the air assault.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s de facto law minister Nazri Aziz said that the Sulu Royal Army will be charged with murder, adding that the Geneva Convention will only come into play if Malaysia considered the act as war.

Nazri called the arrival of the armed Filipinos in Sabah in February as “intrusion into our sovereignty not a war.”

There were also 50 Filipinos who arrived in Tawi-Tawi after fleeing the conflict between the groups.

March 6, 2013 (Wednesday) – Malaysian troops claim they have killed another 13 suspected Philippine militants bringing the total number of dead to 40.

On the other hand, one of the leaders of the Moro National Liberation Front said that “thousands” of their forces are heading to Sabah to provide support to the Sulu Royal Army.

March 7, 2013 (Thursday) – Sultan Kiram’s camp declares a unilateral ceasefire at 12:30 pm while maintaining a defensive position amid the continuing firefight between the Sulu Royal Army and the Malaysian security forces in Sabah.

Kiram’s camp said that this was in response to a request from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to stop the bloodshed.

Malaysia rejects the ceasefire offer of the Kiram camp and said they’ve killed 31 militants since the start of the standoff.

March 8, 2013: (Friday) – Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tells Aquino in a phone conversation on Thursday that the Sulu Royal Army must surrender to resolve the conflict.

“I told him that they will have to lay down their weapons unconditionally,” Najib was quoted in the report as saying in response to Aquino.

On the other hand, Kiram’s camp which claimed earlier to have captured four Malaysians calls for a prisoner swap facilitated by an independent group with Malaysian forces who also earlier claimed to have arrested 10 militants.

Raja Muda Agbimuddin, the leader of Kiram’s followers in Sabah, also said they have not eaten for two days as they are being pursued by Malaysian authorities.

“According to him, two days they have not eaten yet. They are constantly escaping from being hit by bombardment of the Malaysians,” Sulu Sultanate spokesman Abraham Idjirani said, quoting Agbimuddin.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy intercepted two boats with 121 Filipino evacuees from Sabah who were on their way to Tawi-tawi.

March 9, 2013 (Saturday) – Malaysian security forces say that they have arrested 79 people while another suspected militant who was escaping a cordon was shot dead bringing the total death toll of the month old crisis to 61.

“Up to now the police have arrested 79 suspects whom we believe have some links with the intrusion,” Federal police chief Ismail Omar said.

But Kiram’s camp denied that the lone fatality on Saturday was a member of the Sulu Royal Army with Sulu Sultanate spokesman Abraham Idjirani claiming it as black propaganda by the Malaysian side.

Ismail also said on Friday they have arrested over 50 men and women found outside the battle zone who were being investigated for “committing terorist acts.”

March 10, 2013 (Sunday)

Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said they have so far detained 85 suspects in connection with the Lahad Datu incident.

Later in the day, Malaysian police said they arrested 33 more suspected Kiram sympathizers, four of which were linked to the killing of two Malaysian policemen in an encounter last March 2.

Meanwhile, a Palace official condemned the alleged Malaysian authorities’ arrests of innocent Filipinos there.

“Nadadamay sila, doon sila nakatira (Many Filipinos are living in Sabah and are being dragged into the mess). That is unacceptable. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will be contacting their Malaysian counterparts about this,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

The DFA also sought a clarification on reports that Filipinos in Lahad Datu were being rounded up and subjected to human rights violations.

“The Department urges the Malaysian government to take steps to clarify these alleged incidents… The allegations are alarming and should be properly and immediately addressed by concerned authorities,” the DFA said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Malaysian police are set to increase their deploymeent of troops in Lahad Datu and east coast of Sabah.

March 11, 2013 (Monday)

Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib denied reports of maltreatment against Filipino civilians.

“I strongly deny that. They can say anything but the focus of our operation is only in the two areas of Kampung Tanduo and Kampung Tanjung Batu,” The Star online quoted him as saying.

Foreign Affairs spokesperson Raul Hernandez said they will still rely on DSWD for reports of abuses as their teams are still denied access to Ground Zero.

Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman in a statement said they sent a total of 1,000 sacks of rice and 1,500 food packs to Jolo, Sulu, and another 1,000 sacks of rice and 1,500 food packs to Bonggao, Tawi-Tawi, and 500 packs to Basilan to address the needs of the Filipino refugees there.

The DSWD also said they have documented around 750 Filipinos who fled Sabah following the conflict.

Meanwhile, a state of calamity may be imposed over Tawi-Tawi due to an expected exodus of evacuees from Sabah, said Simunul mayor Nazif Ahmad Abdurahman.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas later in the day met with Jamalul’s brother Bantilan Kiram II and discussed conditions for the “disengagement” of the sultanate’s followers in Sabah.

Malacañang maintained that Kiram’s followers are to be blamed for the bloodshed that resulted in 63 deaths, 54 of which are said to be Kiram’s followers.

“Itong kaguluhan sa Sabah, tandaan po natin, ito po ang sinasabi po nating mangyayari kapag hindi po sila nagbago ng kanilang desisyon na bumalik. We have, from the very start, told them that this is something that may happen,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.

March 12, 2013 (Tuesday)

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib was quoted in a Star Online report as saying one of the casualties in the conflict is Haji Musa, described in the report as a general Royal Army of Sulu. Kiram’s family has yet to confirm this.

Malaysian police is also looking into another general’s body that could be the sultan’s brother Agbimuddin Kiram, according to a Sun Daily report.

Lahad Datu police head Superintendent Shamsudin Mat said prayers will be performed for the killed Filipino soldiers as their fellow Muslims.

Sabah police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib added in a report by Bernama news agency that 97 people were detained for supposed links with Kiram’s followers, while 122 were held for being in the prohibited zone during the operations.

Malaysian police also said they have detained one supposedly close relative of Kiram whom they refused to identify, according to a report at The Star Online.

On the domestic side, the Philippine Coast Guard rescued two Filipinos – Jul Ibba, 50 and Gafur Rudjin, 22 – who fled Sabah due to the conflict. The rescued men said many Filipinos were being shot by Malaysian authorities in Sabah.

In the Kiram household in Taguig, Princess Jacel Kiram asserted her right to speak on the Sabah claim. She was reacting to the statement of her uncle, Bantilan Esmail Kiram II, that she is not allowed under Islamic law to speak on big issues.

“Bawal sa amin sa Sharia [Islamic law] na sa mga ganitong big issues na babae ang magsasalita,” Kiram II said after a meeting with Roxas.

The princess said: “I have the decree of my dad. I am speaking on my views and opinions on the matter. We are all entitled to our own opinion.”

March 13, 2013 (Wednesday)

Kiram’s group belied Malaysia’s claim that Haji Musa, a general of the Royal Sulu Army, was killed in an encounter.

Malaysian Defense Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, meanwhile, warned the Philippine media against giving inaccurate reports regarding the alleged abuses being committed by Malaysian authorities on Filipino civilians in Sabah.

In Manila, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) “invited” members of the Kiram family to its headquarters in connection with its investigation on the alleged conspiracy that led to the Sabah conflict. — Curated by Andrei Medina and Marc Jayson Cayabyab, KG/RSJ/VVP/KBK, GMA News