Ruben Along the South China Sea

Sulu - Sea Nomads on Land (1x4)

Air date: Feb 01, 2026

The armed attack by followers of the Sultan of Sulu on the Malaysian state of Sabah in 2013 led to a violent confrontation with the Malaysian army. Many of those involved were subsequently labeled terrorists in Malaysia. Ruben Terlou speaks with perpetrators, ex-detainees, refugees, and families who are still suffering the consequences. On Tawi-Tawi, Ruben sees how this border conflict has disrupted the lives of the Bajau, a traditional people of sea nomads. The pacifist Bajau were expelled from Malaysia and are at the bottom of the social ladder on the Philippine island of Tawi-Tawi.