Sultanate of Sulu & North Borneo (Filipino) Symbolic 33rd Sultan Jamalul Kiram III listens at the Blue Mosque in Manila suburb, Philippines, after undergoing dialysis at a nearby hospital Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Unlike many other Muslim royalties basking in grand palaces and opulent lifestyles, Kiram's kingdom sits in a rundown two-story house in a poor Islamic community in Manila, the only hint of power and glory the title attached to his name. AP/Aaron Favila
The Sulu sultanate has called for an immediate ceasefire to the standoff in Sabah following calls by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to end violence in Sabah and start holding dialogues.
"The Sultan (Jamalul Kiram III) is calling for a unilateral ceasefire of the sultanate of Sulu effective this hour, 12:30 in the afternoon of Thursday," spokesperson Abraham Idjirani said, according to ABS-CBNnews.com.
He said this is out of respect to the call of the United Nations Secretary-General to end the violence there. He said this is "in order to reciprocate the call of the UN to preserve lives."
"The call for the unilateral ceasefire of his royal highness Sultan Jamalul Kiram III is in view of the reported massacre committed by the Malaysian authorit[ies] against 40 innocent civilians in Lahad Datu yesterday (Wednesday)…," Idjirani said.
The UN chief also expressed concerned about the impact of the standoff on the civilian population, including migrants in the region.
Ban is closely monitoring the situation in Sabah and would like to see all parties engage in talks for the peaceful resolution of the issue, a UN statement said.
He also urged all parties to "facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance and act in full respect of international human rights norms and standards."
Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III on Thursday called for a ceasefire with Malaysian forces in Sabah.
With report from ABS-CBN, INQUIRER Global Nation and the Star Online Malaysia
