NationStates Jolt Archive

Scene: Xikuangese capital city of Lhijir, Lhai Province, the halls of the Elected General Council of the Most Serene Republic of Xikuang.

http://www.drnightshade.org.uk/images/xikuang/lhijirl.jpg


The Halls themselves are built in the traditional style: square, solid edifices of slate-coloured brick topped by tiled, eaved roofs and joined together by covered verandas and corridors, the severity of the style broken by arched, shuttered windows edged in colourful tiles forming symmetrical patterns. Within the expansive Conference Chamber, the shutters of the west-facing windows are open, and the impressive Lhai mountain range can be seen not far beyond.

Though nowhere near full to capacity, there are a great number of people present, television crews and journalists representing no small part of the assembled. This is only to be expected, as most proceedings taking place within these halls are broadcast to the Xikuangese people and those abroad.

In the area designated for the Elected General Council-- only one of the 13 seats unoccupied, Elected General Councillor and Chair of the Elected General Committee for International Affairs Mr. Xiang Kalsang being abroad on Council business-- two figures stand: Councillor and Chair of the Elected General Committee for National Security Sarekh Djijirin, and Chair of the Elected General Council, Dr. Xu Xian. Djijirin is a man of impressive proportions, particularly by Xikuangese standards: well over six feet tall and powerfully built, it is rumoured that he can bend a tire iron in his bare hands. He is also well known for a habit of feeding small birds out of those same hands. Dr. Xu, not even five feet high and all of 90 pounds dripping wet and with a brick in each pocket, ought to be dwarfed, but something in the very presence about her sets her on a level with her counterpart.

Looking about, meeting the eyes of the assembled, Councillor Xu speaks.

Televised address from the Halls of the Elected General Council, Xikuang


"Countrypeople, comrades, friends:

"Recent events have obliged the councils and committees of the Most Serene Republic into fervent debate over certain policies we have maintained since the creation of the Republic. We have heard the concerns of the people, we have tallied the votes of the Councils and Committees, and the Elected General Council now expresses the will of the Xikuangese people and our personal conviction that reversal of one such policy is now necessary.

"Risking the opprobrium of our allies, we have defied the CACE vote and maintained diplomatic relations with Knootoss in the honest belief that to keep lines of communication open was the best course of action, best serving the interests of ourselves, of our CACE allies and of the people of Knootoss. We have regretfully been forced to reconsider.

"We have earnestly and consistently striven for understanding between Knootoss and the CACE. Knootoss has responded by contriving to assemble a vast military presence of nations openly hostile to our allies. They have responded to Aperinian CACE nations taking defensive precautions with barely veiled implications of open belligerency, belligerency which does not exist. They have lied to their own people, deceived and misled a subsection of their own population into believing that a Knootoss-controlled colony in Aperin is not only welcome, but have funded and continued to push the colony despite our abundant clarity that the proposed colony in the form upon which they insist is not acceptable.

"We feel that our faith and trust have been betrayed. It is with sadness, but firm resolution, that we now follow our allies in severance of diplomatic relations with all WBO/SATO nations. We can reconsider this decision only as and when military forces are withdrawn from the waters immediately surrounding Aperin."

Councillor Sarekh now takes the floor.

"Though we have no objections to friendly military exercises, we would have hoped that a peacefully-minded Knootoss would have been mindful of the sensitivity that would attach to the assembly of military forces of WBO/SATO nations so near primarily CACE Aperin. We would have hoped that a Knootoss mindful of the sensitivity of the situation that has been created would see the stepping up of security by CACE nations as a natural response to a possible threat to our homelands and the lives of our people, not as a statement of belligerent intent. We would hope that a peacefully-minded Knootoss would remove these exercises to the WBO/SATO friendly waters around their own nation, as, even if conceived and executed peacefully, the tension created by this situation is not one the CACE can easily bear.

"Thank you, and benedictions."

Telecommunications now move to clarifications and debate.

A Taraskovyan News Wire reporter adressing a Xikuangese official.

- This statement comes amidst a very volatile situation. And it is no doubt that SATO/WBO nations will react accordingly. But would you please clarify the position and stance of the Most Serene Republic of Xikuang.
towards other nations, that aso participate in these exercises, but that are totally neutral towards CACE and that are not member of either the WBO or SATO?

OOC:

I can't find any other way to express my question in an IC way :?

A Xikuangese official responds:

"We fully recognise the volatility of the situation, and we believe this is an appropriate response.The severance of diplomatic relations applies only to WBO/SATO member nations. We are as usual open to communication from unafilliated nations."

A Xikuangese official responds:

"We fully recognise the volatility of the situation, and we believe this is an appropriate response.The severance of diplomatic relations applies only to WBO/SATO member nations. We are as usual open to communication from unafilliated nations."

Same TNW reporter:

- Does your stance reflect those of all CACE nations?
And several SATO/WBO nations have repeated and assured the CACE nations that no war is going to happen.
What is the opinion of the Most Serene Republic of Xikuang of such statements?
Does the Most Serene Republic believe that a war may erupt?

Same Xikuangese official:

The CACE recently held a vote as to whether or not to sever ties with the WBO/SATO Nations (http://invisionfree.com/forums/CACE/index.php?showtopic=395). At that time, we objected to the motion, which subsequently passed with a clear majority. We did not, however, recognise the motion, and with all of the risks that entailed-- including the possibility of sanctions from our allies, which would have extremely deleterious effects upon us-- we kept our relations open. So, to answer your question, while there were a few who sided with us in the vote, out stance reflects the official stance of the CACE.

"We have heard the assurances from the WBO/SATO nations that there will be no hostility, and in general, we believe them. We fully believe that most participants to these wargames have entered in good faith and have no bellicose intentions towards the CACE nations, and we have no warlike intentions ourselves: may I emphasise once again that the CACE response has been to step up defence; you can be certain no offensive moves will come from any of us. Speaking for Xikuang, suspect that Knootoss has directly and deliberately manipulated affairs to create an environment of tension and alert. Why they have done this we do not know. Though we maintained ties with them in spite of the CACE vote, and while they knew exactly what kind of tension this situation would create, they mentioned not a word of it to us, when we could easily have mitigated the situation had we been warned aforehand.

"We do not believe that a war will erupt, but under the circumstances, we have cause to suspect that certain factors may try to manipulate this situation to escalate things to disastrous levels. We would urge all participants in these war games to be on the alert for such. May I state on behalf of the CACE: we do not want war, we will not seek war, and we will not be provoked into war over this."

A KNN reporter with a Ballotonian passport now asks for attention as he waves his arm: "Do you intend to try to restore relations in the longer term? When the war games are over perhaps? How do you see the future of SATO-Xikuangese relations?"

And immediately after that:
"What do you believe will the impact be on Aperinian governments if the war does not come? Won't that make them appear overly paranoid for taking measures like mass-evacuations and food rationing?"

OOC: got an OOC question too, but will ask that in the relevant (Enumatil)thread.

A KNN reporter with a Ballotonian passport now asks for attention as he waves his arm
...
"What do you believe will the impact be on Aperinian governments if the war does not come? Won't that make them appear overly paranoid for taking measures like mass-evacuations and food rationing?"

At that, the voice of a food transport worker from the Federation of Free Soviets calls out from the back of the room.

"Oh, and i suppose that we should just sit around and wait to be attacked before we start working to avoid a crisis? When an army of nations that don't like us very much suddenly shows up down the street, I think a little defensive preparation is in order - hostile intentions or no."

She realizes that speaking out like this is probably 'against protocol or something' in a setting like this and quietly tries to blend back in to the crowd.

The KNN journalist looks back and sees the woman slip back into the crowd. He mutters softly to his collegue next to him: "Have they been importing these brainwash devices here too Paranoya IS contagious." The woman, apparently from Stephistan, does not answer. "Suit yourself.", he thinks annoyedly.

He raised his eyebrow as he realised something:
And what is an obviously foreign laborer doing at a press conference anyways? He shrugged and turned around to the Xikuangese official with a curious facial expression. "Sir?"

And what is an obviously foreign laborer doing at a press conference anyways?

ooc: probably wandered in for the biscuits.

re: food rationing, something that you should know by now, the CACE is probably the lowest ranked alliance for total food production. i think only Anhierarch is ranked over 50k. food is a BIG DEAL in our nations and with all of SeOCC now on the run, meaning they are living on the supermarkets we emptied before leaving, it's going to be even scarcer. the refugee situation alone requires food be spread a little thinner than before.

The Xikuangese official nods to the KNN official, and is about to reply, before she is interrupted by the worker from the Federation of Free Soviets. Though she tries to mask it, a half-smile breaks through. Couldn't have put it better myself, she thinks. Drat diplomacy. She turns back to the KNN reporter:

"The statement was quite clear: we will review the decision as and when SATO forces are withdrawn from Aperinian waters. As for the impact upon Aperinian governments of the war does not come, we will be very much relieved, and no, we do not feel that he actions that have been taken are in any way paranoid. Allow me to elaborate for the international community. SeOCC is a tiny, extremely densely populated area, whose military targets are the same as its civilian targets. Evacuation measures in the event of any threat are standard, and they are well-rehearsed and co-ordinated with neighbouring nations. As for food rationing, it must be noted that Aperin, particularly in the Northwest, is not a very fertile continent, while it does support a very large population. When resources are devoted to tasks other then food production, rationing becomes necessary. It too is well co-ordinated, and overall shortfall is not expected."

Northern DA, the manor:

In the dark, browish- green sky, a few crow- like birds fly, searching for food. Below, them, the (traditional) building where soldats, against all modernism, resides.

Inside of a dark chamber of the house, dimly lit by a few large candles, the light of which is barely able to light the corners of the room, a few people meet.

One of them is dressed in a white, ceremonial dress. Althena.

"So?"
"Well... as always, they`re scared like hell over... well, nothing."
"And they seem to think their souvereignity extends over the complete continent... including Skargarden."
"Inacceptable. Anyway..."
"Yes. Our negotiations with Xikuang..."
"I doubt they are of any further relevance. If they want to continue them, no problem, if not, it doesn´t matter. The more they isolate themselves, the better... or worse, for them."

She nods to all the others present, and leaves the room, followed by her two aides... for a moment, they can be seen, their shadows looking dangerous in the dim light the candles create.

bump

The KNN reporter had no further questions. "Thank you", he said to the government official.

<Mark>