Kingdom of Sulu (21st Century Crisis)

The Kingdom of Sulu (Malay: Kerajaan Sulu, Tausūg: Karujaan Sūg, Arabic: المملكة سولو), known in British Malayan and Indonesian sources as the Kingdom of the Suluks (Malay: Kerajaan Suluk) was a de facto maritime state that existed in the Sulu Archipelago in the deep southern Philippines, south of Mindanao. It was one of two unrecognized states that declared independance from the Philippines in 1949.

It is considered a successor to the historical Sultanate of Sulu. Jainal Abirin was crowned the Sultan in 1949. In 1955, due to widespread poverty and a lack of progress, the succeeding Sultan, Mohammad Esmail Kiram I opted to join the Republic of Mindanao in 1955.

History
The Kingdom of Sulu's history originates throughout the ending of World War II. The Sulu natives showed valiant resistance against the Japanese soldiers, that the Sulu region was generally left untouched by foreign armies. Jainal Abirin, the Sultan of Sulu went to Mindanao to help with their resistance against the remaining Japanese forces. He, along with a Maranoan chief by the name of Ahmad Salahuddin joined and formed the Mindanao Free Army.

While Salahuddin was in the Dutch East Indies, the Sultan was instructed to inform the people of Sulu of the upcoming independance, since the natives of both Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago refused to acknowledge Philippine occupation of their islands.

First Cotabato City Convention
In 1946, Sultan Abirin attended the First Cotabato City Convention, which was meant to discuss the government, language and constituton of the upcoming Republic of Mindanao.

Abirin and the other Moro chiefs agreed to the terms, that Malay would become the new language of the Republic. It was then that Abirin was presented with the Constitution of Mindanao, which was influenced and emulated from Sukarno's Pancasilan, or the Five Points.

Zamboanga City Convntion
The Sultan however, had an independent convention, with other Tausūg chiefs, as well as Bajau-Sama and Mapun datus, this time in Zamboanga City of whether Sulu should became an independent state on of itself, or become part of the new Republic.

The Tausūgs rather remained divided on the issue. Those who hailed from mainland Mindanao, particularly the Zamboanga Peninsula, opted to join the Republic while those from Sulu, wanted to re-establish the Sultanate of Sulu.

The final decision was that the Sultanate of Sulu needed to be reformed, and recognized and thus, this would be the issue that Abirin would present in the next upcoming convention in Cotabato City. Abirin also stated that the Tausug datus who opted to become part of the Republic may do so.

Second Cotabato City Convention
Abirin and other Tausug chiefs attended the Second Cotabato City Convention, a far-larger convention that not only composed of Muslim chiefs and revolutionaries, but also Hindus and Buddhist from northern Mindanao and Christian Lumads from the central highlands, even Visayan Catholics who supported the independance cause.

At the end, Abirin finally stated his peaceful intent to form an independent monarchy in Sulu, which was respected by Ahmad Salahuddin. Salahuddin said, "I will not stop the Sultan of Sulu from carrying forth his political wishes, and therefore shall announce the formation of a second state."

It is in this convention, that two independent states were announced: the Republic of Mindanao which would cover the entire island itself, and the Kingdom of Sulu which would cover the Sulu Archipelago.