US embassy cable - 98BANDARSERIBEGAWAN550

UNCLAS BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000550 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/PIMBS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, ECON 
SUBJECT: SULTAN'S ELDEST SON MADE CROWN PRINCE; 
PRINCE JEFRI VOWS TO DEFEND HIS INTERESTS 
 
REF:  BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 00523 
 
1.SUMMARY:  THE SULTAN'S ELDEST SON, PRINCE BILLAH, WAS 
  MADE CROWN PRINCE IN A VERY TRADITIONAL CEREMONY ON 
  AUGUST 11.  THE WIDELY EXPECTED RETURN OF PRINCE JEFRI 
  DID NOT HAPPEN.  IN A SECOND INTERVIEW WITH REUTER'S 
  JEFRI VOWED TO DEFEND HIS INTERESTS IF THEY ARE 
  THREATENED.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.THE CEREMONY TO PROCLAIM YANG TERAMAT MULIA PADUKA 
  SERI DULI PENGIRAN MUDA HAJI AL-MUHTADEE BILLAH AS 
  CROWN PRINCE WAS ATTENDED BY THOUSANDS OF SENIOR 
  BRUNEIANS AND MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORP.  INVITED 
  GUESTS INCLUDED THE SON OF KING HUSSAIN OF JORDAN. 
  AFTER THE CEREMONY AT WHICH THE SULTAN PRESENTED HIS 
  SON WITH A KERIS (MALAY DAGGER) TO MARK HIS 
  INAUGURATION, THE PRINCE WAS CONVEYED IN PROCESSION 
  THROUGH THE CAPITAL ON AN ELABORATE, GOLD PLATED 
  CARRIAGE.  THE PRINCE NOW CARRIES THE TITLE DULI YANG 
  TERAMAT MULIA PADUKA SERI PENGIRAN MUDA MAHKOTA HAJI 
  AL-MUHTADEE BILLAH.  IT IS EXPECTEO THAT IN THE NEAR 
  FUTURE THE CROWN PRINCE WILL BE APPOINTED TO AN 
  INFLUENTIAL GOVERNMENT POST. 
 
3.IT HAD BEEN WIDELY RUMORED FOR SEVERAL WEEKS THAT 
  PRINCE JEFRI WOULD BEGIN TO MEND HIS RIFT WITH THE 
  SULTAN AND RETURN TO BRUNEI FOR THE CROWNING. 
  HOWEVER, SOURCES SAY THAT NEGOTIATIONS TO INVITE JEFRI 
  TO RETURN BROKE DOWN.  THE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12 BORNEO 
  BULLETIN PUBLISHED A REUTER'S ARTICLE WHICH REPORTED A 
  STATEMENT FROM PRINCE JEFRI, GIVEN ON THE EVE OF THE 
  ROYAL INAUGURATION.  THE STATEMENT READ "ON THE 
  OCCASION OF HIS INVESTITURE, I WISH TO OFFER CROWN 
  PRINCE BILLAH MY CONGRATULATIONS AND WARMEST GOOD 
  WISHES.  I REGRET THAT I AM UNABLE TO ATTEND THE 
  CEREMONY, BUT THE RECENT DISTURBING TURN OF EVENTS IN 
  BRUNEI HAS MADE THIS IMPOSSIBLE."  HE ALSO REPORTEDLY 
  SAID THAT FOR THE PRESENT HE PREFERRED TO BE LEFT 
  ALONE, BUT THAT HE WOULD DEFEND VIGOROUSLY HIS 
  POSITION AND THE INTERESTS OF HIS FAMILY IF FORCED TO 
  DO SO.  THE PRINCE IS REPORTEDLY IN THE UNITED STATES. 
 
4.IN THE THURSDAY, AUGUST 13 BORNEO BULLETIN, MALAI 
  HASSAN CONTINUED HIS REPORTING ON THE PUBLIC SUPPORT 
  THE SULTAN IS RECEIVING FOR HIS STANCE ON THE 
  AMEDEO/PRINCE JEFRI AFFAIR.  UNNAMED BRUNEIAN 
  COMMUNITY LEADERS WERE QUOTED AS SAYING "HIS MAJESTY 
  HAS MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT NO ONE, NOT EVEN HIS 
  FAMILY MEMBERS, IS ABOVE THE LAW AND HE IS CLEARLY 
  COMMITTED TO HIS DIVINE DUTY TO LEAD AND GUIDE THE 
  COUNTRY ON THE NATION'S WELL-TESTED MIB (MALAY ISLAMIC 
  MONARCHY) PHILOSOPHY."  MALAI HASSAN ALSO REITERATED 
  THE BRUNEI GOVERNMENT'S STATEMENTS, ISSUED BY ITS 
  INFORMATION DEPARTMENT, THAT BRUNEI IS NOT BEING 
  INFLUENCEO BY FOREIGN EXTREMISTS. 
 
5.COMMENT:  THE DEEP RIFT BETWEEN THE SULTAN AND PRINCE 
  JEFRI DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ON THE MEND. THERE IS 
  SPECULATION THAT THE SULTAN IS ABOUT TO APPROPRIATE 
  PRINCE JEFRI'S OIL EXPLORATION JOINT VENTURE 
  COMPANIES, ONE OF WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN 
  PRODUCTION NEXT YEAR.  (NOTE:  UNOCAL'S WORK IN BRUNEI 
  IS ASSOCIATED WITH JEFRI'S OFFSHORE PROPERTIES.) 
  PRINCE JEFRI VOWS TO DEFEND HIS BUSINESS INTERESTS BUT 
  IT IS NOT CLEAR HOW HE WILL DO SO. 
 
RASE