NationStates Jolt Archive

Omzian IVP News Network
News for the Masses: Concise, Timely, Purposeful

Osaria MPT Announces Seventh Expansion of Subway System
Osaria Government City (IVP) - To the satisfaction and need of many commuters in the 120-million city of government employees and others, the Osaria MPT Transportation Department has announced the recent decision to initiate the first stages of a major expansion of the underground subway system. The expansion is set to be one of the biggest after the integration of the Osaria Light Rail system into the huge underground railway network many years ago - the seventh major expansion, but unlike other major expansions, it is set to extend only the underground lines.

MPT Director Antoin Lavez announced the decision in a press conference on Sunday, which detailed various aspects of the expansion. It is said that the extension will consist of the expansion of twelve of the 31 main underground lines, and the addition of another two lines, which will connect the growing Kovkaz District of the populous city, and the expanding "New Heights" industrial sector. The number of stations is also set to expand with this growth of new routes, and it is also expected that several older stations, such as the popular Main Street Junction station, will also be greatly expanded to accommodate new services in addition to the newly established presence of the two lines.

Details about other aspects of the expansion are also released, which consists of improvement in service, security, and automation of the operations of the system. One of the major new changes is the inclusion of biometric scanners in all stations in accordance to the new Domestic Security Act amendment, which is set to improve security, efficiency, and quality of service. A new electronic ticket-handling system will also be implemented in most major stations, while the new online ticket bulk-purchasing system has been modified in various aspects as well.

Aspects such as technical details are also well elaborated. It is believed that the public segments of the lines will be approximately 90 kilometers in length, collectively including more than 50 stations in total. The depth of the stations and lines are believed to be more than 80m -- though the exact figures are classified due to the well-known "open secret" of its secondary use of the subway system as an air-raid protective facility and as an emergency military command-and-control system, roles which are all expected to be included in the construction of these two lines. Various "modern construction techniques" will also be used, although it is expected that the process will be somewhat more simplified when compared with previous times due to the preparatory work already done during the course of the last major expansion.

Figures of financial cost are not announced, but it is expected that due to the nature of the expansion, financial expenses will number to hundreds of millions if not billions of Omzars, which had been one of the major controversies within the City Council prior to the finalization of the decision. One city councilor has been reported to have made herself absent a short moment before the announcement of the decision, presumably in protest, though this is unconfirmed.

It is expected that during the course of construction, services in certain sectors of the underground system may be made unavailable during non-rush hours temporarily to allow the construction to take its course, though this is not expected with the major and junction stations. The system is set to open within a period of seven years.

OOC: ...And for the propaganda side of Omzian news. What news service IRL does this remind you of? /OOC

Omzian Central Information Service
Information For the Population

Omzian President Inspects Omzian Army Unit in Military Tour
HOGAN POINT (CIS) - This morning the President of the Omzian Republic, HHPE Loran Vansare, visited the headquarters base and barracks of an Omzian Army unit as part of his military tour across the nation. The Omzian Army unit, the 621st Mechanized Infantry Regiment of the 62nd Armoured Division, based near the city of Hogan Point, is a crucial part of the elite rapid-deployment forces of the Omzian Army, standing by the Omazee Thought as part of the invincible Omzian Forces. The President arrived by helicopter, and expressed much enthusiasm for this monumental visit and inspection of this elite mechanized unit of the Omzian Army.

Upon his arrival, he was instantly greeted by the commanding officer of the division, Brigadier General Jonas Konares; the commanding officer of the regiment, Colonel Moran Tobaz; and the Political Advisory Officer of the division, Senior Colonel Glaz Yubiz. The President, who was accompanied by the Commander of the Western Military District Field Marshal Jonas Hogan, expressed his thanks for such gratitude and hospitality, while conveying his greetings to this professional unit of the insurmountable Omzian people's Army. Quickly afterwards, the President initiated his tour around the facilities of the base in the company of these seasoned military commanders.

Beginning the tour around the base, he first visited the headquarters building of the base, and then proceeded along a series of different facilities, observing the daily operations that the soldiers were carrying out diligently with great efficiency and focus. The President praised the soldiers' eagerness to participate and their strong motivation, commenting that it is imperative that they continue this trend to ensure the greatest degree of efficiency and productivity possible. The commanding officer of the unit however, expressed his thanks, and remarked that it is the Omazee Thought and their strong conviction to defend their sacred Fatherland that allows them to work with such superb performance while generating excellent results.

As the tour progressed, he met with various enlisted men of the unit and their commanding officers, including the Commanding Sergeant of the unit, Sergeant Major Hogan Loranos. The President praised their extreme dedication and loyalty, while stressing the importance of maintaining their goal of serving as the elite vanguards of the Omzian Fatherland, protecting its vast lands and dignified people against foreign fascist-imperialist-capitalist threats that looms constantly only short distances away. The President, quoting from his memory and knowledge, also commented on the unit's performance in a recent combat exercise in northern Omz, praising their stellar performance on the simulated battlefield, their superb technical skills and cunning tactics employed, and their success in general.

Afterwards, the President himself approached the barracks facilities of the base, taking on the initiative to show his own considerate care for the soldiers' lifestyle and their daily routines on the base. He was greeted by an outburst of commotion and excitement from these soldiers, as he spoke individually with the enlisted men and junior officers, and inspected their daily living accommodations. The President himself praised the soldiers' readiness and formality, and underscored the need to remain vigilant in the face of various daunting fascist-imperialist threats in this turbulent world. He also admired the portrait of the Eternal President and the Great National Founder Hongaz Omazee, stressing the need to dedicate their devotion to the Fatherland and the fellowship of the Omazee Thought.

Following this, he moved on and then sat with soldiers in a short conversation and enjoying a meal of rice, beef, and potatoes. He noted to the commander of the unit these soldiers' brilliant exhibition of their knowledge of the Omazee Thought, their emotional display of their individual convictions and reasons of devoting their loyalty to the Fatherland, and their admirable show of expertise in military tactics and strategies. The President also noted the meal as an "improvement over the older, more turbulent days of our great Republic", underlining the axiom that "an army travels on its stomach". The soldiers all nodded and agreed with extreme admiration of the President, noting their thankfulness about the President's care.

Proceeding around the base, the President then inspected the armoured vehicles of the unit, which included Shadow Cat armoured infantry carriers and Mekhev main battle tanks. The President inspected these vehicles with extreme thoroughness, and then praised the men of the maintenance units for their expert performance and their output of great efficiency and effectiveness, signifying the importance and the value of adequate support and maintenance. He also gave on-the-spot guidance to these obedient men on the topic of maintaining their mastery of vehicle maintenance.

Finally, to conclude the visit, the President also witnessed a series of demonstrations by the men of these units, including building-clearance exercises by the men of a mechanized infantry platoon of the unit. He humbly expressed his utmost admiration for these men, and praised the flawlessness of the infantrymen's show of their expertise and comprehension of battlefield tactics and discipline. The rapidness and lack of interruptions in the demonstration also proved to be another subject of the President's praises, and he also exhibited his thankfulness for the unit's absolute determination and dedication to the Fatherland, the Omazee Thought, and duty as part of the undefeatable Omzian People's National Defence Forces.

To conclude and wrap up the event, he called upon the unit to maintain their brilliant performance and their faithful dedication to duty and socialism, and signified the need for them to not only be well-versed on the topics of military science and tactics, but also be proficient at their tasks, and be trustful of the invincibility of the Omazee Thought, as the elite callous soldiers of gallantry.

Family of Shot Protestor Sues Omzian Army; Army Judge Advocate General: "Justice is Justice"

KANZE (IVP) -- The recent incident involving a protestor shot in the leg while trespassing a forbidden firing range area of an Army training base has just gotten even hotter when the family of Kolans Joranz, the protestor currently still in hospital after treatment of his leg wounds, officially submitted a lawsuit against the Omzian Army. Seeking $5 million Omzdollars in compensation for the damages inflicted as a result of the wounds received by the junior Joranz, it was filed Wednesday following a military court session which concluded that Corporal Golan Bonkares, the military police soldier responsible for the shooting, "was acting according to the standard security procedures needed to confront such situation" and that "no charges will be laid against Corporal Bonkares in a prospective court martial".

"The recent developments within the military justice system is clearly disappointing, both for the family and for justice within our nation as a whole," the spokesman for the Joranz family, Polen Urumgaquz, stated in a mini-news conference that announced the news of the lawsuit. "It is clear that military justice will have little use in bringing the criminal to justice, and if we have to combat the entire armed forces over this issue in the courtroom out of righteousness, then we will undoubtedly do so," the spokesman proclaimed, in front of the rest of the 5-member Joranz family.

It is believed that the lawsuit has been partially funded by an Omzian anti-war organization, but the spokesman refused to comment on this aspect of the issue.

In the meanwhile, the spokeswoman for the Omzian Army Public Affairs Department, Captain Gadie Donsarez, reaffirmed the military's position, stating that "albeit the utilities used in this successful defence of the intruded base's security, Corporal Bonkares will remain not guilty until new evidences are brought to light and when he is found guilty, and the Omzian Army will remain firm in its existing position."

When asked about the lawsuit itself, the Captain said, "the Army is currently pursuing measures to make its side heard, and is hoping that justice is served."

"We send our condolences to the Joranz family in terms of the injuries that Mr. Kolans Joranz has received,, but we will remain resolute in our current position."

A Simple Start, A Series of Complicated Aftermaths

The situation, despite its seemingly freshness, dates back to almost three weeks before in the relatively calm city of Horanzorkolans of the Hoganporte Province, where more than one million people resides with a training base and barracks of the Omzian Army. The torch was originally brought into light when the 23-year-old Kolans Joranz, a native resident of the city, proceeded towards the base's west side with a small crowd of around 30 protestors as an initiative to protest the recent deals between the Omzian military's OMASC corporations with what they consider as an "imperialist, tyrannical state" during the calm mornings of September 18. "It all went relatively according to the routine, and I think that the soldiers' on the base were taking notice of us," one of the protestors who is also Joranz's friend said.

"Kolans on the other hand, told me that he thought that the soldiers there were taking it merely as the subject of a joke or something," the friend continued. "And then he decided to do something else."

She was referring to the ignition of the torch - the moment when Joranz decided to climb the west fence of the base, which separated an empty field within the base from outside of the base, that led to the base's semi-indoors small arms training area. According to military accounts (which was in agreement with a previous city police report), one of the military police guards on duty, Corporal Bonkares, immediately noticed Joranz's attempt and quickly consulted with Sergeant Morano, the lead guard - who shouted warnings with a handheld loudspeaker that were ignored by Joranz. After an initial consultation and noticing Joranz having gotten onto the other side of the fence, the Corporal decided to take things further - by firing warning shots, even though such procedure was not for normal circumstances and certainly was not designed to be a part of the standard set of military police tactics. As the Corporal fired a succession of shots at the ground near the fence, Joranz instead dropped onto the ground, and dashed directly to his front - the building where the firing range was located, at a "relatively high speed". This is when one bullet, a live bullet, caught Joranz's leg.

"And then the whole thing set off," Joranz's friend continued. "We saw blood from Kolans's lower leg, and he screamed and dropped onto the ground. People in our crowd began to gather and yell for help on the empty field surrounding the base. And then I suddenly noticed a group of soldiers in their regular uniforms, running towards Kolans."

"Fortunately he was off to the hospital, but I remember one of my friends yelling at one of the soldiers who later talked to us regarding this, accusing him of murder," the friend recalled.

What to Come?

"This will indeed have a series of profound impacts on not only the public relations between the Army and the people, but also internally within the Army as well, despite the lack of any charges or sorts," Yolan Karanz said.

A retired Colonel from the Army, Karanz now runs a consulting business that specifically deals with matters relating to military public and governmental relations in the nearby city of Hogan Point. "This is simply the incident waiting to happen that will set off a new row between the public and the military, whose relations were already strained by recent actions taken by Omzian military-controlled defence firms in addition to a series of unresolved minor incidents in the past", he commented on what he refers to as "a clash that will require careful moves by both sides". "The incident itself isn't that significant in its own way, especially when we consider that the only injuries were a shot leg and some scratches by small rocks on the ground, but it is certainly the trigger that will set off all the existing tensions between the armed forces and the public."

"Contrary to the image given by the government's, the relations between the armed forces and the people are not exactly as smooth as the surface of glass - and with this sudden turn of events, that fact may stay true for a longer time than previously imagined."

Even though having retired from the Army just some years ago as an infantryman, he was nevertheless somewhat - albeit not hugely - critical of the military in terms of its handling of the matter. "The military's current handling of the situation can be judged as mediocre at best, especially when we consider the continued rigidity of its position, in addition to the great miscalculations that led to the use of live ammunition instead of non-lethal approaches and practices."

"I also think that some pertinent revision of the military police's existing tactics will be in order, especially when we will see plenty more of these protests around army bases like this in the very near future."

Omzian Forces Personnel Participates in Massive Demonstration

OSARIA (Omzian Forces News) - Today a large contingent of military personnel met in the Omzian capital city of Osario, on the 101st anniversary of the founding of the Omzian Republic. Unlike the anniversary celebrations of last year, this is highlighted by the lack of the presence of senior civilian leaders, and is instead a massive demonstration organized by the military to affirm their allegiance to the Omzian Republic and the Supreme Marshal and Great Eternal President Hongaz Omazee.

More than 380,000 officers and soldiers from the Omzian Army, Navy, Air Force, Militia, and the People's Police gathered in this gigantic show of enduring support for the government, in a nation where the balance of power between the government and military is often uneasy and marked by suspicion. More than 10 members of the Omzian High Command and the Omzian Army General Staff spoke in a series of long speeches, after a lengthy performance by the Omzian Army Band. This sealed off both the major Oskaniskie and Longaniz Avenues of the capital city, but with streets filled with officers and senior NCOs from the Omzian Forces, adorned in a variety of fine garments.

"The ultimate mission of the Omzian People's National Defence Forces is not only following the steps that our forefathers has taken to establish the Omzian democracy, but also to forever uphold the ideas of Great Eternal President Hongaz Omazee and his every-victorious Gonkon (military-first in Omzian) self-defence policy. Our enduring goal is to annihilate the threatening forces of the aristocratic-imperialism-fascism threat through the active undertaking of the procedures outlined in the Gonkon policy," Supreme Director of the Omzian High Command, Field Marshal Jonares Hogan, proclaimed during the first speech present during the demonstration. Military officers watching below held giant portraits of the Great Eternal President, Hongaz Omazee, and shouted their approval of their Marshal's speech in a most feverish fashion after he proclaimed that the Omzian Forces is the "Hammer of Omazeeism".

Afterwards, the Omzian Army Band and Choir again performed a series of pieces, including "Soldiers' Call", "Echo from the Yonkanz Valley", and "Forever Bodyguards of the Homeland".

Though to a foreign eye such demonstration in a democracy may be extremely bizarre, to Omzians it can only be the norm, especially during a period where the Omzian Forces has been unusually devouted to their commanding political authority. However, from the point of view of independent political analysts, this is still an unexpected move "that further backs the fact that the relationship between the Omzian Forces and the government is perhaps in one of its most fraternal and closest stages ever," said Dr. Kolen Honara, a senior analyst of the Likenskie Institute.

[Would that "imperialistic, tyrannical nation" be myself?]

[Would that "imperialistic, tyrannical nation" be myself?]
OOC: No - I don't think you are either fascist or tyrannical :p

[I didn't say you did, but who's to say what self-centered, provincial college kids who think they possess such worldly knowledge that they won't listen to others are going to think?]

OOC: You know that many Omzians are rather apolitical, no?

[Nope, didn't realize that. But obviously the protestors weren't, which was what I was referring to.]

[Nope, didn't realize that. But obviously the protestors weren't, which was what I was referring to.]
OOC: They aren't hippy protestors, that's a disgrace. They are officers and men from the Omzian Forces, demonstrating their ever-increasing support for their homeland and their Great Eternal President, Hongaz Omazee (even though he's in a tomb as of right now with no chance of revival).

Navy Rally Held in Capital by Returning Sailors and Officers

OSARIA (OFN) - A group of more than 120,000 officers and sailors of the Omzian Navy today gathered in the Osaria Hongaz Omazee Convention Centre, where a major rally was held today in recongition of these men's deployment to the waters near Optischer during the 'Anti-Bandurian Imperialism Deterrence Operation'. The men gathered as a host of political and senior military leaders of the Omzian Democratic Republic spoke in stage, congratulating their successful deployment and their valour during the deployment of forces.

Crowds of senior officers and admirals pumped their fists into the air and chanted slogans as the President of the Republic, Loran Vansare, spoke on stage regarding the men's 'ardor and bravery' and their 'steadfast resolution' in the face of the 'imperialist-expansion-fascist threat'. In the meanwhile, large red banners were held by junior officers and sailors behind, praising Supreme Marshal Hongaz Omazee and pledging their eternal dedication and loyalty to the 'Ever-Glorious Gonkon Policies of the Republic'. "The standdown of the enemy fascists can only mean another victory in the record-books of our Supreme Marshal Omazee, and his ever-enduring Gonkon policy that will stay dear in the hearts of every Omzian servicemen," Field Marshal Hogan, Supreme Director of the Omzian Forces High Command, spoke. "We must continue our pledge of allegiance to the Great Eternal President, for without him we would not have survived as a democratic society in the face of the imperialism-fascism threat."

Afterwards, large groups of naval officers sang pieces including 'You Pushed Away the Storm, Supreme Marshal Omazee' and 'Beacon of the Turbulent Seas', sending waves of music across Osaria's cool night air. However, a group of protestors gathered outside of the conference, chanting 'Down with Omzian Imperialism' and 'Back Off, Gangster Hogan', though the number only amounted to approximately several hundred people.

Reeducation Through Labour System to be Expanded: PAP Official

OSARIA (IVP) -- As the ever-growing and festering dispute surrounding the controversial Reeducation Through Labour system continues ever since its conception more than thirty years ago, the People's Armed Police's Penitentiary Corps in a news conference has announced that three new facilities will be constructed and established as a part of the ever-growing system. The three new sites, named Gonkon IV, V, and VI respectively, will be set up in the northwestern parts of the nation, according to anonymous sources within the PAP.

Though Colonel Jokas, the spokesman for the PAPC, refused to comment on a range of questions including the numerous allegations surrounding the beating and abuse of prisoners, assured that "the facilities will be established in accordance to the standards set by Omzian judicial law and the Charter [of Rights]". Though the costs and budget figures for the expansion are still unknown, "additional personnel increases in the PAPC will be expected to accommodate the facilities with a full-fledged set of staff members".

Currently harbouring more than 500,000 criminals convicted of serious offences ranging from murder to drug trafficking, the system consist of a total of fifty-nine heavily-guarded, large-sized facilities throughout the nation, most of which is located in the isolated northern mountain regions. Originally conceived as a complement to the death penalty, it has ever since replaced it in de facto usage across the nation, ever since the last execution of Goran Koleniz more than twenty years ago. However, at the same time despite praises from the government itself and certain critics, others - including human rights groups operating in the Omzian nation - has brought up allegations of prisoner abuse, unusually high numbers of 'natural deaths' within the facilities, and a variety of other accusations that in some cases even amounted to 'torture and deliberate murder'. Corporations who are tied to the labour facilities, such as United Iron & Coal, have also been under fire, exemplified in the DY 89 case between Omzian Human Rights Guardian and Kolenzkie Mining Corporation, which ultimately led to the downfall of an entire PAP General Staff panel.

"The impending crisis at hand is happening right in front of us, yet no one is doing anything," Dr. Andrew Loganskie of the Human Rights Guardian commended during an interview. "Though I abhor the death penalty just as much, it is completely unacceptable that such a corrupt system is still implemented after thirty years, thirty years since when human beings were used for martial arts practice."

"I can admit that the state of the facilities have vastly increased over the years, it is still not enough. The whole system must be gone."