Bates Treaty of 1899 with Sultan of Jolo is classic example of US decepttion

From: American Conflicts

General John Bates signed the Bates Treaty
with the Sultan of Sulu. (Photo credits: WikiCommons)

The Bates Treaty of 1899 was a classic example of American deception and use of treaties in deceptive ways. If the intent of colonization of the Philippines was “by God’s grace to do the very best by them” as indicated by President McKinley, the Bates Treaty was an unusual way to achieve this. The Treaty grants some degree of autonomy and protection to the Sulu Sultanate which effectively kept them out of the Philippines-American War.

However, once the war ended, the terms of the Bates Treaty were broken and the United States moved to bring the Moro territories under American military control. These actions lead to the Moro War.

– Grayspirit’s Abstract and Commentary

Text: Bates Treaty of 1899 

Conditional Agreement Between Brig. General John C. Bates, Representing the United States, and the Sultan of Jolo (Sulu), August 20, 1899

Between Brigadier-General John C. Bates, representing the United States, of the one part; and his Highness, the Sultan of Jolo, the Dato Rajah Muda, the Dato Attik, The Dato Calbi, and the Dato Joakanain, of the other part: it being understood that this agreement will be in full force only when approved by the Governor-General of the Philippine Islands and confirmed by the President of the United States, and will be subject to future modifications by the mutual consent of the parties in interest. 

Article I. The sovereignty of the United States over the whole Archipelago of Jolo, and its dependencies, is declared and acknowledged. 

Article II. The United States flag will be used in the Archipelago of Jolo, and its dependencies, on land and sea. 

Article III. The rights and dignities of His Highness the Sultan, and his Datos, shall be fully respected; the Moros are not to be interfered with on account of their religion; all religious customs are to be respected, and no one is to be persecuted on account of his religion. 

Article IV. While the United States government may occupy and control such points in the Archipelago of Jolo as the public interests demand, encroachment will not be made upon the lands immediately about the residence of His Highness the Sultan, unless military necessity requires such occupation in case of war with a foreign power; and, where the property of individuals is taken, due compensation will be made in each case. 

Any person can purchase land in the Archipelago of Jolo and hold the same by obtaining the consent of the Sultan and coming to satisfactory agreement with the owner of the land, and such purchase shall immediately be registered in the proper office of the United States Government. 

Article V. All trade in domestic products of the Arrchipelago of Jolo, when carried on by the Sultan and his people with any part of the Philippine Islands, and when conducted under the American flag, shall be free, unlimited, and undutiable. 

Article VI. The Sultan of Jolo shall be allowed to communicate direct with the Governor-General of the Philippine Islands in making complaint against the Commanding Officer of Jolo or against any Naval Commander. 

Article VII. The introduction of firearms and war material is forbidden, except under specific authority of the Governor-General of the Philippine Islands. 

Article VIII. Piracy must be suppressed and the Sultan and his Datos agree to heartily cooperate with the United States authorities to that end, and to make every possible effort to arrest and bring to justice all persons engaged in piracy. 

Article IX. Where crimes and offenses are committed by Moros against Moros, the government of the Sultan will bring to trial and punishment the criminals and offenders, who will be delivered to the government of the Sultan by the United States authorities if in their possession. In all other cases persons charged with crimes or offenses will be delivered to the United States authorities for trial and punishment. 

Article X. Any slave in the Archipelago of Jolo shall have the right to purchase freedom by paying to the master the usual market value. 

Article XI. In case of any trouble with subjects of the Sultan, the American authorities in the islands will be instructed to make careful investigation before resorting to harsh measures, as in most cases serious trouble can thus be avoided. 

Article XII. At present, American or foreigners wishing to go into the country should state their wishes to the Moro authorities and ask for an escort, but it is hoped that this will become unnecessary as we know each other better. 

Article XIII. The United States will give full protection to the Sultan and his subjects in case any foreign nation should attempt to impose upon them. 

Article XIV. The United States will not sell the island of Jolo or any other island of the Jolo Archipelago to any foreign nation without the consent of the Sultan of Jolo. 

Article XV. The United States government will pay the following monthly salaries: To the Sultan $250.00 (Mexican dollars) To Dato Rajah Muda $ 75.00 To Dato Attik $ 60.00 To Dato Calbi $ 75.00 To Dato Joakanain $ 75.00 To Dato Amin Hussin $ 60.00 To Dato Puyo $ 60.00 To Hadji Butu $ 50.00 To Hadji Mura $ 10.00 To Serif Saguin $ 15.00 

Signed in triplicate, in English and Sulu, at Jolo, this 20th day of August, A.D. 1899 (13 Arabmil Ahil 1317). 

(Signed) John C. Bates, Brigadier General, United States Volunteers 

(Signed) Hadji Mohammed Jamalol Kiram Sultan of Jolo 

(Signed) Datu Rajah Muda Datu Attik Datu Kalbi Datu Joakanain

China stands to gain the most with America's budget cuts plans

Who stands to gain with the announced US defence budget cuts?

Well, we have an idea that China, India and Brazil will.

The US will need tons and tons of money to maintain their forward defence deployment capability. But with the US slated to trim down their budget by more than one trillion dollars within the next decade, it is likely that the US will need strong allies to carry their defence projection forward, not only in Asia but also in Europe.

This is one of the reasons why countries in Europe are beginning to do military hardware "sharing" programs just like France and the UK; very difficult for small countries with small populations to maintain separate credible forces because of the expense of defence equipment.

It's China that stands to gain the most with America's budget cuts plans because China will be spending at the very least half a trillion dollars within the next decade to beef up their military in order to project a credibe forward defence capability first in Asia and then in the rest of the world. :-( In fact, China has already announced their naval build up over the next two decades  that will give them a forward defence projection capability which can pose a challenge to US naval power worldwide.

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In picture: U.S. troops of 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade stand in front of Patriot missile during the Arrival Ceremony of the brigade soldiers at Osan Air Force Base in Osan, south of Seoul, Dec. 10, 2004. [AP/File]

22 June 1962: Philippines filed official claim to Sabah

PHILIPPINE SABAH CLAIM FORUM DATES AND EVENTS TO REMEMBER IN RELATION TO NATION'S SABAH CLAIM

By Anne de Bretagne
10 June 2012
For the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum

FIFTY YEARS AGO OR ON 22 JUNE 1962 MORE PRECISELY: PHILIPPINES FILED OFFICIAL CLAIM TO SABAH BUT PHILIPPINES FAILED TO OBTAIN SUPPORT FROM ITS FORMER COLONIAL MASTER TURNED MAJOR ALLY, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

The Malayans (not yet Malaysians) under Tunku Abdul Rahman, on the other hand, not only had the full support of Great Britain, its former overlords and then key ally but it also appeared that they had received blanket approval to annex Sabah from then United Nations Secretary General U Thant (undoubtedly through the largesse and political pressure by then superpower and Malaya colonials Great Britain.)

The question that comes to mind is why did not the United States of America give the Philippines support in its bid to establish its sovereignty rights over Sabah in 1962 or even during the 60s while the claim was clearly a hot item in the United Nations? The United States which was Philippine colonial master and at the time of the claim was filed was the Philippines' great  'benefactor.' The US, was, after al, a superpower in its own right and could have exerted influence on the United Nations and why not on Great Britain, its major ally and friend with whom it has a 'special' relationship? What happened that the United States decided not to intervene on behalf of the Philippines?

Dates and events to remember related to Philippine Sabah claim:

31 August 1957: Federation of Malaya (not yet MALAYSIA) was established on the Malay Peninsula thus giving the former British colony its political independence, while Britain kept Singapore, Sarawak, Brunei, and British North Borneo (Sabah) outside the federation.

12 May 1961: Malay prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman set about the formation of the Federation of Malaysia (successor to Federation of Malaya) —the political union of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, and Sabah. The proposal was noted to have been well received in Peninsular MALAYA and Singapore but it was also noted that it was not popular in the three Borneo territories (which included Sabah) which stood to be annexed in the planned Federation of Malaysia.

May 1962: Senator Jovito Salonga treatise on "THE NORTH BORNEO QUESTION" and published in  Manila Times, Manila Chronicle, Philippines Free Press

22 June 1962: Philippines under President Diosdado Macapagal filed official claim to Sabah as successor in interest and formally opposed the planned annexation of Sabah by then Federation of Malaya and Great Britain from whom Peninsular Malaya had become independent.

12 September 1962 (and not on 11 September as claimed by some fake sultan and impostor prince claiming to be representing Sultanate of Sulu): official and formal transfer of sovereignty rights over Sabah to the Republic of the Philippines by Sultanate of Sulu through Sultan Esmail Kiram, legal and moral owners of Sabah.

January 1963: President Sukarno began a low-intensity conflict with Malaya known as Konfrontasi to prevent the annexation of Sarawak which Indonesia claimed as part of the Indonesian territory.

16 September 1963: Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore were annexed to Federation of MALAYA to create the Federation of MALAYSIA. Philippines and the newly formed Federation of Malaysia severed diplomatic ties.

*In picture: President Diosdado Macapagal aboard USS Oklahoma in 1962.