The Spanish brought European diseases that decimated the local Indians, then kidnapped the survivors as slaves to work the Mexican gold mines.

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The conflict is a relic of the colonial era when the Sultans of Sulu "leased" what used to be North Borneo to the British government for an annual sum of 5, 300 Mexican gold pieces.

WSJ: Michael Vatikiotis: Malaysia the Moderate Peacemaker

Ghost-like mounds of powder-like gold can be seen, forever waiting for transportation to the northern Mexican city of San Luis Potosi for refinement.

BBC: In Oaxaca, a community unchanged