KOTA KINABALU, Sabah, Malaysia - According to The Philippine STAR, An extra 1,000 gunmen from the
southern Philippines have broken through the sea blockade into Sabah to
add muscle to Sulu rebel leader Agbimuddin Kiram’s fight against
Malaysian security forces.
A representative
from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Emmanuel Fontanilla,
told the daily the fighters had been readying for battle since the onset
of 
the conflict and managed to slip past the Philippine and Malaysian
navies by moving in small groups.
the conflict and managed to slip past the Philippine and Malaysian
navies by moving in small groups.
The
paper said it was unknown if the latest group had joined in fresh
clashes in Lahad Datu last week, when an earlier band of 100 Filipinos
landed on Sabah’s east coast to reinforce the so-called Sulu sultanate
in its renewed bid to reclaim the state.
The
elusive Agbimuddin, who believes himself to be the heir of a defunct
sultanate, has been waging a guerilla battle against Malaysian security
forces since arriving in Sabah on February 9 to stake his clan’s
17th-century ownership of the north Borneo state.
More than 60 Sulus have been reported killed in the violent conflict enveloping Sabah’s east coast that have also snuffed out the lives of eight Malaysian policemen and two soldiers.
Malaysian
security forces have also captured more than 100 Sulus believed linked
to the gunmen, and slapped several with terror charges.
Some
5,000 Filipinos have returned to their homeland since the Sabah crisis
began in February, with tales of human rights abuses that have enraged
fellow Philippine citizens and lawmakers.
The
Philippine Senate has demanded its government hold Malaysia accountable
for the possible human rights violations on the 800,000-strong Filipino
migrant community in Sabah at the hands of local authorities searching
for a ragtag band of Sulu militants claiming ownership of the north
Borneo state.
The
volatile situation in Sabah appears to be election fodder with both the
Philippines and Malaysia readying for national polls this year.
Source: Agency
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