Pang Choon Pong, a Chinese emigrant to Malaysia, has a fair to middlin' wholesale seaweed and shellfish distributorship in his adopted hometown of Lok Kawi in Malaysia's Sabah State. Having recently opened a retail shoppe in the nearby state capital of Kota Kinabalu as well, Mr.Pang (Chinese surnames are placed first) was more than busy. Still, being a hands on guy Pang still liked to personally make the rounds from time to time.
All over Southeast Asia, wherever there are national borders there are local border dwellers coming and going without any form of passport control. While much has been said of the "Terrorist Hiway," or the "T3," the "Terror Transit Triangle," leading from Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapre into and out of the Southern Philippines, the fact of the matter is that the gate is impossible to close, let alone seal. That is not to say the powers that be haven't used a whole lot of elbow grease in trying to at least make some progress in that area. A big chunk of American largesse has gone into boosting Philippine Naval interdiction. Aside from creating Task Force 62 which thus far hasn't proved capable of even interdicting poachers of sea turtle eggs, there is a Philippine Naval Station in which three US Navy Radar Technicians seek to prevent Jemaah Islamiyah and the Malaysian based Kumpulan Muhajadin Malaysia [sic] members from entering the country in the joint American-Philippine initative offically known as "Coast Watch South."
In reality it is an entirely wasted effort that to date has merely snagged some retired AFP and PNP senior officers running weapons and explosives in that region in addition to a weak Abu Sayyaf sub-Kumander, a cousin of the now deceased Abu Sayyaf factional leader, Kumander Robot. Though this "cousin" did have a US 1 Million bounty courtesy of the Americans, who were silly that way in the early years of its third front on the anti-terrorism jugganaut, that apprehension took place after a mere four months after the programme began. So, while it's great to wax nostalgic about it, the bi-lateral endeavour represents absolutely no utility vis a vis sealing off one of the world's most porous borders. Since that 2004 arrest it has been a financial black hole like most Philippines-based initiatives. A little known Regional Agreement allows all locals to come and go at will so unless that agreement is abrogated there is no solution in sight. If one dresses the part they can easily enter or leave the Philippines at will. Ergo, the Americans can grind their teeth and get all red in the face as much as they want but EVEN IF they ever somehow obtain a concerted effort from the other four
So it was that on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011, Pang Choon Pong fired up his twin screw speedboat and along with three helpers, a man and two women, Chinese emigrants like himself, roared into the sea lanes and began the 45 minute ride to the municipality of Sitangkai in Tawi Tawi Province. Situated on Sitangkai Island, that one municipality produces more than 50% of all Philippine seaweed exports and so Mr.Pang is but one of many foreign traders frequenting the island. Shortly after mooring at the town's Chinese Pier Mr.Pang was approached by Merham Maraji, a seaweed trader who used to be one of Pang's primary suppliers. The two had had a bad falling out when Mr.Maraji raised his prices without warning.
As Pang and Maraji stepped to the side to talk amongst themselves onlookers were startled when Mr.Maraji began screaming at Mr.Pang and lunged for him. As Pang deftly sidestepped the attempted assault Mr.Maraji drew down with a 9MM pistol and brought Pang to heel. As the two men scuffled Marji began screaming in Tausug, Maraji's tribal language, and three young men came running, two of them carrying M16s. Ordering a stunned Mr.Pang to get back aboard his own boat, and ignoring the three helpers, Maraji clambered aboard as the vessel pushed off and roared into the crisp morning air.
Always willing to do their job when foreigners are targetted Task Force 62 put out a bulletin on Pang's vessel and proceeded to Maharji's home where they found the craft safely moored but empty. Neither were the two men in Maharji's home nor neighbouring Clansmen's homes. Still, the authorities are paying attention and one should.
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