Unity Broadcasting Network - Understanding the past

[Polesia]

পররাষ্ট্র মন্ত্রক
Ministry of External Affairs

The People's Republic of Vangala strongly condemns the slanderous lies of the Sinese dictator Marjhan Visariya and the imperialist war games conducted by the Sinese Defence Forces. The Unity Front junta is behind the murders of dozens of innocent Vangalan sailors and now threatens to execute Vangalan diplomats and to invade the Vangalan Motherland, putting the lives of millions more at risk.

We are recalling all diplomatic staff in the Sinhai Union and urge all Vangalan nationals to return to ensure their safety.

 

[Khemia]

Upon receiving the letter, the secretary of the External Affairs office dismissively shredded the notice.

"I thought the President said we weren't accepting direct communiques anymore," she grumbled to herself, breathing a sigh of a relief when she realized that her work load was going to become significantly lighter when the Vangalan propaganda pouring through her office would begin simmering down.

(ooc: just a bad humor post, essentially don't expect my government to directly reply to official Vangalan statements in the future, feel free to PM me though!)

 

[Khemia]

UNITY PROVERB: A bright future for humanity is the goal of every citizen.

Militia's Back Sayan Jaa, Call for Solidarity
SDF Troops Work with Insurgents to Prevent Illegal Arms Smuggling
LFS Suspected of Supplying Ultranationalist Militia's
Jizhou Intervenes in Tenzing, Nokanawa Losing Power
Businesses Prepared to Expand into Jizhou
______________________________________

"Welcome Citizens to UBN, state certified media, my name is Apasiri Pichaya," the lovely woman began with the typical opening lines, "and this is my coanchor..."

Banyat nodded, setting down a number of papers in his hands before beginning, "...Banyat Bantadtan, and this is National News on the Nine. Rogue politician Sayan Jaa has sparked a movement he has termed "Solidarity", and has begun uniting various militia's throughout the north. Sayan Jaa has continued his unanswered demands for the President to step down from her office, and Solidarity is moving to petition a plebiscite be held to determine the future of the North."

"However, with battles still being fought between militia's and other parties throughout the north, chances of a peaceful and successful plebiscite being held in the North are increasingly unlikely. Insurgents are assisting SDF forces in cracking down on illegal imports through low security zones in order to prevent militia violence from spreading. 'The last thing we need is more guns and bullets being sent to the North,'" an image of a Unity official appeared on the screen. "'We understand that this means basic necessities like medicine will be less common, but they can still legitimately purchase goods on an open, Sinese market, and they can always get aid from the humanitarian camps they haven't bombed yet.'"

Apasiri's turn was next, and she smiled as the camera panned to her. "Additionally, rumors abound that the LFS may be supplying ultranationalist militia's in the north. Since President Visariya's elimination of 'old guard' elements within the Unity Party, the Party has witnessed split with Nokanawa. A split with Nokanawa may have witnessed the LFS secretly supplying militant factions in the north with weapons and intelligence, which may show why the weakened superstate of Oikawa severed ties with Sri Rama earlier today."

"Speculation is, of course, speculation," Banyat noted with his finger in the air.

"Of course. However, with the Republican Army of Jizhou moving to eliminate a government it views as collaborating with Vangalan terrorism, Nokanawa has witnessed a real threat to the integrity of it's Empire."

"But Nokanawa is the greatest historical enemy of Communism, indeed the entire political scene of the East can be said to be sculpted by Nokanawa. How then could they allow Communist insurgencies to be spawned by Vangala and weaken the Jizhou state?"

"The only real answer is that Nokanawa is playing the field of politics more than it is adhering to the issues that created it's Empire. Anti-Communism is no longer the critical issue in Oikawa, instead maintaining control over their satellites is. It is this anchorwoman's honest hope that Yiyuan will come out of this ordeal stronger," she smiled.

"Indeed. Sinese businesses have been taking a new and profound interest in Jizhou as of late, and Department of Industry officials have been working together with Jizhou to encourage an expansion of industry. Not only would jobs be made in Jizhou, eliminating unemployment and combating Communism, but the economic integrity of Sinhai would be reaffirmed." Banyat smiled for the camera's. "Next in the news, crocodiles interfere with a dragonboat competition, capsizing a boat. But first, a word from our sponsors."

 

[Khemia]

excerpt from the Opinion columns


A Bloody Sun Rises in the East.

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This is a picture of Oikawan police beating down a restaurant owner selling curry. This is not what's happening in today's world. The curry-munching Marxist scum continue to plague the Greater East, sponsoring terrorism throughout the LFS. How does Nokanawa respond to this terrorism? By dragging the guillotine out of the woodworks to kill the only nation in the east with the balls to stand up against the scum of Southwest Toyou.

Perhaps the Emperor of Oikawa has forgotten where his balls are. Or maybe he forgot his glasses when he read the morning paper that told him his allies were being threatened by enemy missiles, their nation's demise on the horizon to chemical and biological weapons. Or maybe the esteemed Emperor, glory be his senility, conveniently forgot the effect of chemical weapons after what happened to the Koreans.

Regardless, Oikawan jets now streak through the skies of a nation that had attempted to assert its independence on the national stage. They drop bombs on people that had once considered Oikawa a great brother to Jizhou. They now realize the falseness of their beliefs, Oikawa is an equal to none. AGE is gone, Jerusalem is a decrepit shadow of its former self. There is no single nation that can stand up against Oikawan oppression; now is the time to strike against the single greatest enemy to humanity in the modern world, and the world remains silent. Now is the time for Communists, Democrats, and Free People around the world to unite and cry out "No, we will not allow 1 billion Han people to be shackled and enslaved, no we will not watch another race die to the Oikawan military machine!"

There will be blood. The Oikawans have done it before. They will do it again.

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[Khemia]

Excerpt from the Sri Rama Post opinions columns

Months of Violence: No End in Sight?
By: Akkarat Promsiri

The winter of '10 has seen far more bloodshed than any winter of Sinese past, and yet there appears to be no end in sight. Spring quickly approaches, and everyone in the government is hoping that the cycle of violence ends and that a new phase of peace can blossom in the land of the southern sun.

However, fleeting hopes dwindle with every day that passes, and as the days grow slightly longer, so do the severity of the engagements between paramilitary guerrilla forces and our own SDF. The past three weeks have seen an ever mounting flare in hostilities as red shirts have moved from engaging police forces in the streets to waging secret wars in the mountains and jungles.

The truth is that the government no longer has the resources to take the fight to the enemy. The majority of Union forces north of Katchaburi, should such units be said to exist still, remain cut off from the layers of support that make the combined arms tactics of the Union military effective. Ground forces are fortifying a "front" against the north, and armoured units have been withdrawn to the south. The quantity of air-to-ground sorties has increased from a mere 8 a day to up to 5 an hour during daylight hours. Does the Union military even have the munitions to support this sort of warfare?

The answer is no. Ban Mang and Sai Yok have already been abandoned by Unity forces, units in Hua Diat, Tak, and Mae Suat have not delivered a report to JFC in nearly a week, and all reports made public suggest that the front lines have pushed as far south as Tha Rahat and as far east as Sinyaphum. PIP and other pro-Communist forces and their refugee camps have relocated even further east to Mae Rae, and engagements in the mountainous periphery of the Union have sent up such destruction that the smoke from the battles there can be seen from space.

What went wrong? This is not just a war being fought between two ideologies. It's not that simple. The north existed under an impoverished, authoritarian splinter state which neglected to give it's residents even the most basic of tools to live. It not only destroyed their will to resist, it changed their culture. Weak promises made by the Unity regime gave the people, regardless of their beliefs, some hope. That hope gave them the will to resist; but their beliefs sculpted by decades of oppression pushed their resistance from peaceful protests to savage violence. The cliche phrase 'rebel without a cause' could be applied to the desperate degenerates that propelled the war to where it is now, what beliefs they cling to are widely varied. The only thing is certain is that they believe only they can run their country, and that even their southern countrymen are farang to them.

The SDF and government are lost for solutions to ending the war, and can only hope that the violence is contained in the north. Are they hoping that the people will wage war until they are too tired to fight? Or do they really have no plan but to continue losing ground to the rebels?

 

[Khemia]

LAMAE HOSTS TALKS BETWEEN UNITY PARTY AND PEOPLE'S INDEPENDENCE PARTY

Of recent Sinese politics, one thing can be said to be certain, and that is uncertainty. Instability and chaos rule throughout much of the country, where government forces have been pitted alongside long-time enemies in a battle that goes beyond ideology, a battle for right to have the freedom to be able to have an ideology. This alliance of enemies has seen unparalleled cooperation between the two once disparate factions, and has forced the Unity Party to reconsider it's long-term "One Party" stance.

The Unity Party has opted to host a conference with PIP leadership within Lamae, where People's Independence Party leaders will be allowed to voice their opinions, compromise, and be compromised with in a series of talks that the Unity Party has stated "must be successful if this nation is to have a future beyond this conflict."

This is a no cards held back game, where no options will be outright denied based on principle. Whether or not these talks go beyond Lamae, and broadly include the international communist community, has yet to be determined. The status of the Vangalan prisoners, PIP information on Vangalan involvement in the opening weeks of the insurgency, and PIP political prisoners, will likely be discussed in depth. Whether or not the PIP is aware of the ultranationalist suppliers is also unknown.

Where SDF forces have concentrated around the defense of Katchaburi, Sinyaphum, and Nakhon, as well as the faltering Defense of Tha Rahat, PIP forces continue to hold ground in their myriad of tunnels throughout the northern mountains, with known strongholds in Ang Sila and Ammata. Despite continued assaults from ultranationalist forces, PIP units have maintained control over the region, and continue to launch attacks on what organized logistics the North is able to maintain.

 

[Polesia]

পররাষ্ট্র মন্ত্রক
Ministry of External Affairs

The People's Republic of Vangala welcomes negotiations between the Unity Front and People's Independence Party as a positive development in the peace process in the Sinhai Union.

 

[Khemia]

PEOPLE'S INDEPENDENCE PARTY ISSUES NEW CHARTER

The People's Independence Party, as part of the first wave of negotiations between Unity Party officials and PIP leaders, has issued a new charter today. PIP officials stated that the charter, which has been in circulation within PIP ranks for a month to gauge support, is nothing new and is expected to make negotiations between the PIP and Unity Party run smoother over the next few days.

The Charter, which reads similar to many other manifesto's, diverges significantly from those previous Charters maintained by communist regimes. The Charter most notably shifts the PIP from a Revolutionary Vanguard Marxist Party to a Democratic Socialist Party, which PIP officials have stated has existed for a month already since the election of new PIP leadership by Party members and the collaboration with government forces in the fight against the ultranationalists. "Though we will not compromise our politics, we will compromise the methods through which we achieve them. Simply put, we're willing to put down our guns and run for candidacies in democratic elections. The current President of the Union, Marjhan Visariya, has done more for democracy in Sinhai than any leader has for the South in 70 years. By laying down our arms and taking up our pens, we can take her lead and push democracy even further."

The People's Independence Charter also diverges from Internationalist Communist Parties, such as the Vangalan Communist Party, in that it states the "People's Independence Party strives to create a socialist state in the interest of the Sinese people", meaning that the PIP has officially broken it's bond with other International Revolutionary communist parties throughout the world which continue to strive for an international revolution.

PIP spokespersons stated that they believed the shifts were "much needed and will allow us to compromise with the Unity Party, and hopefully soon every Sinese citizen will have the choice to choose between Unity, or People's Independence."

Political analysts believe the sudden shift from radical to moderate is a likely product of the PIP's relocation into Mae Rae, Unity Party territory, the loss of their popular support within the North, the influx of refugee supporters, and an incapacity to wage a war against both the SDF and ultranationalist rebels. Since the temporary alliance between SDF and PIP forces was initiated, PIP forces have seen a large influx of both medical supplies to assist with relocated refugee populations, and armaments which have allowed the PIP to continue to resist ultranationalists throughout the North.

 

[Kadikistani Union]

Revolutionary Office of External Affairs

It is always sad to see a once proud and strong communist revolutionary force turning away from its roots and ideology. While we honestly hope that the changes will be for the best, we have limited trust in the leadership of the newly formed Democratic Socialist Party.

 

[Khemia]

UNITY PARTY TO RELEASE VANGALAN PRISONERS

36 Vangalan prisoners who were captured in the sinking of a Vangalan vessel believed to be supplying armaments to then-insurgent elements of the PIP are to be released Saturday, August 28, according to Unity Party spokesmen. Negotiations between the Unity Party and People's Independence Party quickly tackled the topic of Vangalan involvement within Sinhai, though what information was revealed by the PIP has yet to be released.

"We're trying our best to move forward and come to some agreement. Both sides here have battles to fight on the front lines, discussing Vangala was really just an appetizer," stated a People's Independence Party spokesmen in one of the first legitimate interviews held by UBN in several years. "The main course is about democracy and Sinhai, and where the people's part lays. Once we have laid out a future for Sinese workers, then we can tackle war for desert."

Appetite metaphors aside, the release of Vangalan prisoners is an action many policy makers in Sri Rama had not anticipated seeing in the morning paper. Of the 36 prisoners captured in the April 12 affair, 7 were severely injured. However, due to the skill of Sinese medical practicioners, none of the wounded lost their lives or limbs and will be returning happily to their homes and their families.

However, with Carentanian and Vangalan protests preventing a full Sinese investigation into the crisis of April 12, a complete casualty count for the affair is not available. Unity Party officials stated earlier today that a full Vangalan retrieval of the craft would be permitted to provide families of those lost at sea with the closure they needed. Any operation in international waters will likely be monitored by a SNDF vessel to ensure no further harm comes to Vangalan citizens in the vicinity of Sinese territorial waters.

 

[Khemia]

SINESE DEFENSE FORCE LOSING GROUND TOWARDS BANG TABUN

BANG TABUN - An evacuation order has been issued by the Bang Tabun Changwat, including the villages of Yisan, Bang Laem, and Nong Pla Lai due to elements of ultranationalist forces breaching SDF defensive positions.

The evacuation order is for all residences of the Bang Tabun Changwat, Yisan, Bang Laem, and Nong Pla Lai; specifically those citizens within the city limits of Bang Tabun. Reception centers are currently being organized outside local prefectures and are expected to receive up to 3,000 people each. As well, SDF emergency support teams and combat squads are being routed from Bang Khun Sai to assist.

Citizens under an evacuation order should immediately leave the area and proceed to their local reception centers, located at all local prefectures. For more information on finding your local prefecture, please visit our website at ubn.net/evacalert, the sdf.mil/evac or dial emergency services at 1-9-1. Further instructions on temporary lodgings and food will be provided at the reception center. Officials are working on establishing Crisis Relocation Centers at secure locations and will be communicating that information once available.

Police and emergency personnel are currently going to all dwellings and businesses within the evacuation zone to deliver the order. They will provide detail as to a safe route to the nearest reception center.

The evacuation order is issued to ensure protection of human life while combat operations are conducted within the region, and to ensure that citizens property is not looted or disturbed should combat operations be concluded satisfactorily.

 

[Polesia]

পররাষ্ট্র মন্ত্রক
Ministry of External Affairs

The decision to release the 36 innocent sailors is warmly welcomed by both the government of Vangala and the relatives. Yet for normalised ties between the People's Republic and Sinhai Union to be established, compensation for the murdered sailors must be paid and an agreeable solution must be achieved from discussions between the Unity Front and People's Independence Party.

With the threat of attack removed, the People's Naval Force will begin the recovery of the sunken scientific vessel and we urge the Sinese Naval Defence Force to not allow their observation to hinder operations.

 

[Khemia]

UNITY PARTY COMPROMISES WITH PEOPLE'S INDEPENDENCE, ADMITS SUFFRAGE POLICIES SHOULD BE REVISITED

LAMAE - In what is quickly becoming the greatest political battle in the 21st century for the Sinhai Union, communists and socialists have engaged in discussions with a wide array of politicians under the Unity Party umbrella that have lasted well into the early hours of the morning. While little progress has been made on the front of loosening the Unity Party's grip on the single party politics, the Unity Party has relented and admitted that it's current suffrage policies are, as People's Independence put it, "inadequate and do not allow for adequate and truthful representation of the people."

Currently the Unity Party permits political rights and citizenship be extended only to those that have proved, through a series of tests, including history exams and evaluation of employment records, their worth to the Union. While at face value this approach appears to have merit, the system prevents many elderly veterans, idealistic university students, children, foreigners, and peasant farmers from expressing their political activism or being guaranteed protection of their rights through the General Mandate. People's Independence has pushed hard for the system to be scrapped and built back from the ground up, while the Unity Party insists that the Union simply does not have the resources for such an endeavour given the amount of attention required by the war. Already possibilities to renew the Conscription Act of 1944 have reached the floor of the National Assembly in Sri Rama.

"Everyone likes to leave their problems to the bureaucrats," commented a Unity Party member at Lamae, noting that People's Independence Party members had little experience with the Union bureaucracy. "The problem is, we're the bureaucrats. It's easy to tell your politicians 'here's the problem'. It's harder to come up with real answers to those problems. We can't go laying even more problems on ourselves than we can actually handle."

Despite setbacks, factions within the diverse and broadly encompassing Unity Party, as well as the People's Independence Party, have all begun pushing their own agendas. Within the Unity Party, the groups known as the moderates and the utilists, of which Marjhan Visariya is expected to be sympathetic to, have attempted to push forward compromise while attempting to comprehensively canvas and fix problems perceived by not only the People's Independence Party, but other factions within the Unity Party.

Whatever their disagreements, both Unity and People's Independence have agreed that it would be impractical to apply the welfare state, currently available to only those who meet citizenship requirements, to every person within the state. As well, neither party has begun discussing methods to end the war in the north.

 

[Khemia]

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY REVIEWS CITIZENSHIP DRAFT DELIVERED FROM LAMAE

The National Assembly will review a revised citizenship law, delivered from the meeting at Lamae between Unity and People's Independence, on Wednesday, September 1. The draft is the first major step towards national political solidarity between People's Independence and Unity Party members in the history of Sinhai, and if passed could represent a major step towards lasting peace in Sinhai. While the article, which has yet to be presented to the floor of the National Assembly, has not been dispersed for public opinion; Unity and People's Independence Party members noted that the bill takes many ideas from current citizenship laws and hopes to morph them to fit People's Independence Party goals.

Despite the compromises made between PIP and Unity Party, the draft is not expected to pass through the National Assembly as is. President Marjhan Visariya, speaking briefly before leaving for a trek through the Zivontje countryside, has suggested that both the revised and basic editions should be made available to the general public, though talks of a general nationwide vote on the issue are merely rumors at this point.

While the political war has taken a turn for the better, the war against the militants continues to go poorly for the SDF, whose casualties continue to mount. Currently, the SDF has sustained casualties that amount to 20,000 wounded or killed, or roughly equivalent to 17% of standing combat forces. With the increased levels of threat, the National Assembly is being pressured by Citizen Councils near the front lines for further action. Many of these beleaguered groups believe that talks with the PIP are a "distraction" and that they are preventing vital legislation to increase Sinese military effectiveness from being passed.

 

[Khemia]

CITIZENSHIP REVISION DELIVERED TO SRI RAMA, ASSEMBLY BEGINS THE DEBATE

The National Assembly held it's session five hours over allotted time as debate over the recently delivered Citizenship revisions were delivered to Sri Rama, the first real product of the talks being held between Union politicians and People's Independence representatives at Lamae. Arguments over the proposed changes to the Citizenship laws got heated as various factions attempted to control the floor and push their goals. Despite some filibustering, progress was made, though whether the progress carried the argument further towards a comprehensive and acceptable solution, or towards rebuttal, has yet to be determined.

Politicians have admitted that their initial take of the document has made them realize the gravity of changing the citizenship laws, which are written into the Union General Mandate, would require revising the entire General Mandate to accommodate such changes.

With President Marjhan away for diplomacy, the proposed Citizenship law will likely consume much of the National Assembly's time; pushing back debates over reinstituting the Conscription Act of '44. While both discussions are integral to the future of the nation, the postponement of either could have severe consequences for the Union. However, it is likely that many politicians hope that a revision of the Citizenship laws would allow the government to enlist a larger pool of people into the armed forces.

 

[Khemia]

NORTH SINHAI ANNOUNCES PLANS TO ESTABLISH INTERIM GOVERNMENT, DENOUNCES SRI RAMA

SRI RAMA - Politicians today were taken aback by news that the North had begun steps to form an interim government separate from the establishment based in Sri Rama. While the news is itself not entirely shocking, the former-assemblyman Sayan Jaa has been chosen to lead the panel which will review the situation of Northern Sinhai and establish and interim government representative of the collective Sinese interests in the region.

In a rare interview conducted by members of the Associated Press, in affiliation with UBN, Sayan Jaa announced his intent to create a true model for democracy for the Sinese people, calling recent Unity Party concessions to communists a "disgrace to the history of the nation."

While the notion of succession is one that the SDF is hardly in the position to actually contest, some political analysts remain positive and believe that such a schism - if capitalized upon - may allow for a truly successful transition for the south into a true democracy. Despite this, the SDF is expected to launch a counter-offensive later this week to retake much territory lost to militants over recent weeks, including Bang Tabun and Tha Rahat. Already the momentum of the Northern assault on the South has begun to dissipate, with offensives in the Bang Tabun Changwat grinding down to combat between static defensive positions. It is believed that support for the war in the north, fought largely by poor peasants, is expected to fade as casualties mount and rice harvesting season approaches.

 

[Khemia]

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TABLES DISCUSSION ON CITIZENSHIP REFORM, TURNS TO GENERAL MANDATE

Politicians today shocked citizens throughout Sinhai earlier today when discussion over citizenship reform was tabled in favor of new talks over the replacement of the General Mandate, a proto-Constitution devised in the 40's during the First Sinese Civil War.

Politicians stated that the current General Mandate, while created with noble intentions, simply has not kept pace with the progress of Sinese society. Sinese politicians believe that many problems associated with the conflict between the PIP and Unity Party can be boiled down to the General Mandate, and without a significant revision, any compromise made at Lamae would be for naught.

Spokespersons for the National Assembly today held a conference outside of the Unity Complex, Sri Rama, announcing that it was the National Assembly's intention to begin the drafting of a new Constitution which would include a broad number of reforms, be more accepting of new reforms, and represent the entirety of the Sinese people.

"The General Mandate was a document made by a nation in crisis, without the benefit of hindsight. While our nation today is also in a crisis, we have hindsight, and we know of the mistakes made in the past and the changes that have molded Sinhai in the decades since. We believe that we can create a new Constitution, one that will be more comprehensive and permanent in it's inception," stated Assemblymen Kharayat, from Ahrakor.

The National Assembly will continue to convene until a decision has been reached as to the size and makeup of the committee which will begin drafting the Constitution.

 

[Fulanistan]

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We wish the government in Sri Rama good luck and we hope political reform will be received smoothly. We also hope the government in Sri Rama will be able to prevent the communists from assuming command in the north.

 

[Socialist Commonwealth]

ooc: as far as I know, he is fighting ultranationalists and has made some sort of alliance with his country's communists.

 

[Khemia]

(ooc: that is correct, though the "communists" have renounced their revolutionary ways in the hopes of participating in a democratic movement, largely because: 1. they believe their support of the Union in the war will increase their popularity enough for them to compete democratically and 2. they no longer have the capability to continue a war against both the ultranationalists and the Union)

Fulanistan, On Behalf of the Sinhai Union

We wish to thank you for your well wishes, and hope that our political reformation process runs smoothly and creates a new, more democratic Sinhai. While we are doing our best to prevent conflict from dividing the nation, it is our primary goal to represent those Sinese people who have retained their loyalty to the Union of Sinhai.