@Ray
hmmmm, only Malaysia and Indonesia dont have this problem in this ASEAN region, ......
rest including Thailand, Burma, etc all, this type of news of clash between police/military with the Islamic outfits is quite common, including in Philippines ......
They don't have a problem because they are Muslims countries.
However, with the pan Islamist movement sweeping the world, all countries in the region are affected by fundamentalism including Malaysia. In fact, the Islamism is spreading. In 2007, the then Chief Justice of Malaysia, questioned the requirement of English common law even though Malaysia being independent for 50 years. He and proposed to replace it with Islamic law jurisprudence or sharia law. In Kelantan they enforced a by-law that empowers state authorities to fine Muslim men up to RM1,000 or jail them for up to a year, or both, for failing to attend Friday prayers thrice in a row.
In this sea of Islamic nations, Philippines is the only country that is non Muslim and Catholic majority but Islamic fundamentalist like MNLF , MILF, Abu Sayyaf Group, Jemaah Islamiya, Rajah Solaiman Movement, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement are running a riot.
What is interesting as far as Philippines is concerned, Islam came to it earlier in the 14th and 15th centuries through Arab, Malay and Persian merchants. Christianity came later, 100 years later to be precise with the arrivalof the Spaniards. The Muslims were concentrated in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago and since the Muslims were sparse in the North, Christianity could spread easily in the North and they are now the majority there. The problem in Philippines is that it is said that there is hardly an intermingling and two different cultures exist. Hence, the dichotomy in the Nation state.
Sabah is an interesting issue since it was plagued with territorial disputes between Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia. Malaysia's claim over a portion of the Spratly Islands is also based on sharing a continental shelf with Sabah. There are also several overlapping claims over the Ambalat continental shelf in the Celebes (Sulawesi) Sea.
Philippines claim the eastern part of Sabah (North Borneo) but Malaysia holds that Sabah had exercised their right to self-determination when they joined to form the Malaysian federation in 1963.
In actuality, this region is quite chaotic and where chaos prevails fundamentalism thrive.