A Call for Investigation on Reports of Rights Violations against 
Filipino Tausug Migrants in Sabah,
Backlash of Lahad Datu Incident

The continuing armed skirmishes between the Malaysian government and the forces of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III has led to a backlash against the Tausug migrant communities in Sabah particularly in the area of Lahad Datu and its surrounding villages. There have been several unconfirmed reports that the Malaysian authorities have conducted massive arrests and deportation of Tausug migrant workers and that in some cases several of those arrested suffered from beatings and other forms of physical violence and abuses.

We call on the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM), the Commission on Human Rights Philippines (CHRP), and the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) to conduct an investigation of these reports and to ensure the protection of the rights of the migrant workers communities in the light of the current situation in the area.

As we join the appeal for a peaceful diplomatic resolution of the Lahad Datu debacle, we urge the Malaysian government to conduct its military operations in a manner that is consistent with Common Article 3 and Protocol II of the Geneva Conventions, and protect the rights of the Tausug migrant community in Sabah as outlined in various international human rights instruments and United Nations resolutions and recommendations.

The government of President Benigno Aquino III should likewise put in place concrete measures that would safeguard the welfare, and facilitate the safety of its Filipino Muslim constituents in Sabah, who as of the moment are the ones who are made to bear the brunt of the crisis that was precipitated by the actions of Sultan Kiram and his followers.

While we agree in principle to the veracity of the claim made by the Sulu Sultanate, this “military adventurism” will only lead to massive economic dislocation and suffering for the Tausug migrant community in Sabah, and aggravate the life of poverty that most Tausugs and other Muslim Filipino communities are already suffering due to the years of underdevelopment and neglect brought about by government policies that are biased against the Bangsamoros.

Temogen “Cocoy” Tulawie
President,
BAWGBUG

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*BAWGBUG is a human rights organization based in Sulu that was established by detained Human Rights Defender Cocoy Tulawie

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