GUEST 23-Jul-02-08:59 AM

"Facts are facts, Jack. Nobody on the planet invited the British empire into their countries. "

Both your facts and statement are incorrect.

If you disagree, please state your facts and sources.

Take Malaysia as an example - Malaysia is made up of a federation of independent states - perhaps you can tell us when Mighty Britain invaded an conquered those states? There were minor dust ups with Dutch trading posts during the early parts of the Napoleonic Wars, but most of those states elected to place themselves under the protection of the British Crown.

Also take a look at the history of Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak, particularly the period involving a character called Rupert Brooke - he was actually offered the crown of Brunei and refused it, counselling the local rulers to opt for British protection. He, almost single handedly, organised the defence of the coastal villages from constant attacks by pirates and slavers that had been their lot for centuries. As a British Protectorate he knew that that protection would continue after his death.

In the mid 60's when Sukarno of Indonesia attempted to annex Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah, Britain honoured her alliance obligations to defend those states and was supported totally by the local population.

In Malaysia between 1947 and 1964 (War of the Running Dogs) the constituent states of Malaysia were subjected to a communist inspired, and backed, war of insurrection. Again, British forces, with the backing of the majority of the population, defeated the terrorists and the insurrection failed - the only example in the world of this ever happening.

The Commonwealth Games kick off shortly with representatives of 72 countries competing - as an international sporting event it ranks second to the Olympics - Oh, how we must have been truly despised and hated to belong to such a large, voluntary, international group of countries, who were once under our heel and are now fully independent.