Philippines Asks Malaysia About Alleged Rights Abuses

Philippine officials have asked Malaysia to clarify news reports that Filipinos in Malaysia’s eastern Sabah state were being mistreated while authorities crack down on Filipino gunmen staking a claim on the resource-rich region. The Department of Foreign Affairs on Sunday also reiterated a call for Malaysia to give Philippine diplomats full access to Filipinos who are being held outside the part of Sabah where Malaysian forces are battling followers of a sultan from the southern Philippines who revived a historical claim in the area. The Philippine Foreign Affairs Department said in a statement that it “views with grave concern†Philippine news reports alleging Filipinos have been rounded up in Lahad Datu and other Sabah areas.—AP