Update of #sabah from the ground

The only source of news right now from Sabah is from the ground. I have been receiving updates from Yolanda Ortega Stern, a friend who gave me permission to post this update. Her source is GROUND, forwarded to Stern of the private health and education foundation, The One World Institute (OWI) at http://theoneworldinstitute.org. OWI specializes in areas of conflict with philanthropy for peace projects.

If you do a search for “Semporna” or “Sempurna” on twitter, you will read some tweets from Malaysians. @PhilipGolingai, a journalist also tweets some updates . Eliseo Mendoza (@junmeromi) also posted in his facebook wall:

The Internal Security Act is NOW fully enforced in the whole Sabah… News blackout and only the Official Malaysian News and official releases are allowed… Under ISA, our own ML is simply a dot in the radar screen… But can there really be a news blackout in the era of internet, sms, tweet, facebook, etc… Technology has beaten the ISA’s censorship…!

He also confirms the areas of concern ” in Sabah have expanded… Areas of concern are Lahad Datu, Bukit Garam and Sempurna… Our authorities seem to be clueless… I get my info from the network ok kinship by friends both in Sabah n the island provinces.. It is also in d social network…”

Update : Eliseo Mendoza also got the same update given to me.

Disconcerting updates of the Sabah Crisis from the ground – Sempurna…. Here is the report… (source from the ground remains private because of the strict implementation of ISA in Sabah at the moment…)

“Malaysia start massive crackdowns against Filipinos in Sabah

The Malaysian Government has started a massive crackdown against
Filipinos in Sabah, starting early this morning.

Malaysian officials moving around with megaphones have also offered financial rewards to native Sabahans if they report to them about any Filipino or Tausog who could be keeping guns in their homes.

The reports say that the Malaysian Government has issued guns to
their otherwise baton-armed policemen, the better for them to fight
any armed men possibly from the Kiram group who peacefully went to Sabah over two weeks ago.

Policeman are now moving about in Sabah in combat fatigue uniforms and long firearms.

The Sabah government has also organized teams composed of soldiers, policemen and immigration officials to round up communities and arrest illegal immigrants.

Under Malaysia stringent Security Act, anybody can be arrested on mere suspicion of any crime, jailed for an indefinite period and hanged of shot to dead by Firing Squad.

There are also reports that Malaysian police are indiscriminately
shooting at Tausogs or Filipinos in areas or villages abandoned by
native Sabahans,

The Malaysians have begun yesterday the assault at Lahad Datu 6 am with the Malaysians firing the first shots, after they have
infiltrated the Kiram perimeter, after the first group of soldiers
entering the defensive perimeter established by the Tausugs, 30 men were initially blown away in a landmine that was et up as a trap by the Tausugs .as of yesterday 300 men has been has been confirmed dead from the Malaysian side by Tausugs who counted the number of fatalities from the Malaysian side. 40 casualties has been reported from the Kiram side in addition to 10 civilians who have fled the fighting but were shot at point blank range by Malaysian special forces who blocked their escape.

The fighting has now spread to Bukit Garam, and Sempurna . The
Malaysians have asked all native Sabahans and Tausugs to evacuate the areas and have begun their firing 6 pm this evening. the first victims was a Tausug family of five wherein the youngest managed to escape and report to the other Tausugs.

Other Tausigs who evacuated the areas who tried to return to the
Philippines via the sea were blocked by either the Malaysian or
Philippine navy ships. Other Tausug communities are now also being cordoned off and military forces now surrounding these areas.”

Note: Requesting my friends who would use this info to acknowledge my friends from the ground… their identity cannot be reveled because of rigorous implementation of ISA now fully operational in Sabah… I would reveal when things are normalize in Sabah…

Will the Philippine government take its cue from the Malaysian Official News or from the Malaysian PM…? Our government seems clueless about the whole issue and events in Sabah… With the strict control of news in Sabah except for the official Malaysian News the only source is through people on the ground…

Hello, Philippine Government…!

You can read the image files she forwarded to me.

Source : Source is GROUND, forwarded to Yolanda Ortega Stern of the private health and education foundation, The One World Institute at http://theoneworldinstitute.org