[Ilan]

---

---

Governor Bui Hoc condemns Zamastanian Aggression


Photo: Near collision as Xiomeran warship (right) confronts ZMS Dill during illegal Zamastanian incursion

Governor Bui Hoc has today publicly condemned the actions of the Zamastan navy after a naval group illegally entered Xiomeran territorial waters. Despite repeated warnings the vessels continued with their incursion forcing Xiomera to intercept them in a tense standoff. Speaking to the press today Governor Hoc said "This latest act of Zamastan aggression should not be ignored by the responsible nations of the world. This nation's history of aggression is well known and this incident marks just the latest in an apparently endless run of provocations. The government of Rhand's stance is very clear, we consider Zamastan's actions illegal, dangerous and destabilising. We praise Xiomera for both their display of resolve in seeing off the threat, and also for their restraint."

The Zamastanian government has claimed that the ships entered Xiomeran territorial waters due to a navigational mistake, and that Xiomeran warnings were not passed along to the Captains of the vessels by Zamastanian Admiral Tavoka. Despite this apparent admission of fault Zamastan has made a point of refusing to apologise for the incident, seeking to claim that Xiomera had overreacted to a minor incident to which Governor Hoc said "It is somewhat unusual to admit being at fault yet to refuse to apologise for causing what could have been a very serious breach of peace. The fact that Zamastan admits that one of their own Admirals refused to acknowledge or pass along a warning having been informed of the illegal entry into Xiomeran waters suggests that this was far more than a simple navigational error, rather it seems that this may have been a deliberate act to test the preparedness and response of the Xiomera. If this is a prelude to further hostile behaviour on the part of Zamastan then let it be known that Rhand stands in complete opposition to this disruptive agenda."


Crime News

---

Spate of Farm Invasions in Dong'co Province

A recent spate of violent burglaries in Dong'Co Province have continued unabated despite the best attempts of the local police force to control the situation. Rhan'Di and Shen farmers have been left fearful as another farm homestead was raided by a semi-organised mob of Mulangata criminals who stormed the perimeter fence of the large cotton plantation before forcing their way into the home where the family were sleeping. Brandishing machete knives and clubs they ransacked the family home, stealing everything of value before physically assaulting the Rhan'Di owner.

Last night's attack brought the total number of such break ins up to 12 in the past month. With the police failing to make progress in their investigations local landowners are expressing concerns about their security, one speaking anonymously said "It is clear that these crimes are targeted against us, and that honestly does not surprise us; we all know that the Mulangata are by nature prone to aggression and criminality. What is unacceptable is the failure of the police to ensure we are kept safe from these savages. Frankly if they do not do more soon then I can see this situation getting out of hand, there is already talk among some of the farming community about taking charge of our own security."

A spokesman for the Dong'Co Police said "We appreciate the fear that this current spate of crimes has caused and assure people that we are doing everything within our power to bring the perpetrators to justice. Dong'Co is a large rural province and this can make it more difficult to resolve crimes of this nature. We will continue to follow up on leads and liaise with the local population to allay they fears."

---

Rhan'Di Man Arrested for Miscegenation

A Rhan'Di man was arrested today for breach of Article XXII of the Family Act, which prohibits intermarriage between the Mulangata tribals and the Shen-Rhan'Di ethno-group. Ngho Minh of Huifon, a suburb of Tsentsugan, was arrested after entering a Records Ministry Branch Office in order to register his recent marriage to a Mulangata woman by the name of Champei Ekanayake. Ngho is expected to face trial next week at the Huifon Magistrate Court where it is expected his marriage will be nullified and he be given a custodial sentence of up to 18 months.

Speaking on the case local Magistrate Zhao Bo said "Ngho is known to be a far-left agitator, actively involved in the movement against the Phan Biet system of separateness which has allowed for the continuation of the rich tapestry of different cultures that make up the landscape of Rhand. Ngho and the left in general, inspired by foreign movements that fail to understand the unique cultural values and system of Rhand, have long sought to attack Phan Biet as a means to undermine social harmony and the role of the state in mediating the complexities of Rhand's society."

The Phan Biet decrees were a number of laws enacted in the 1870's which instituted the principle of cultural separation between the Shen-Rhan'Di ethnic grouping and the tribal Mulangata peoples of the interior. Due to the disparity in social and cultural development, as well as the radically different value systems held by the Mulangata tribals it was decided that the only way to ensure the preservation, and advancement of Rhan'Di society was to institute a number of barriers that would allow for all cultures to exist in the land. It was envisioned that with time the Mulangata would mature culturally and increasingly identify with Shen-Rhan'Di civilisation.

[Ilan]

---

---

Outrage as Police Hospitalise Student Protester



Photo: Moment Songho City Police set upon a Rhan'Di student protester

Images circulating online that purport to show a student protester being assaulted by Songho City riot police has caused outrage across Rhand.

According to reports the ethnic Rhan'Di student was part of a group of student activists involved in the Progress and Development Party (PDP) who were protesting over the lack of government attention being given to the current rural crime-wave targeting the primarily Rhan'Di farmers of the Dong'Co. About 25 students were holding a peaceful demonstration outside the city government offices in Ronghyu Square where the student in question was believed to have been holding a provocative sign calling for Governor Bui Hoc to either address the issue or step down.

Police were then said to have arrived and ordered the protesters to disperse before setting upon the student in what witness said was an unprovoked attack. The male was then taken to hospital by ambulance where his condition is said to be stable having sustained a concussion, broken ribs and arm.

A spokesman for the PDP said "Today one of our student activists was brutally attacked for exercising his legal right to advocate on behalf of our party. This shocking assault is not only upon the body of our member, but upon the democratic and civil foundations of our state. It has long been suspected that there exists an inappropriate closeness between the policing hierarchy and the governing National Party, but now we see clearly that they are acting to suppress all legitimate criticism of the Governor and his policy choices. We have this to say to the Governor, Rhand is not a one party state and it would be foolish of you to believe you can continue to use the security forces as your personal thugs."

The National Party press office responded saying "We reject outright the slanderous accusations of the PDP. The National Party respects and fully upholds the long standing democratic traditions of our country. The PDP are known agitators who seek any opportunity to undermine trust in government to further their anti-traditionalist agenda."

The Progress and Development Party advocates for the development of the country's interior, providing greater infrastructure and economic opportunities to the largely Rhan'Di farmer community of the countryside. They also advocate for limited political and social reforms such as set regular elections and a greater social role for women.

The Governor's Office and Songho City Police were both contacted for comment but as of going to print have not yet responded.

Economic News

---

Gloomy Forecasts for Oil Production

The Tsentsugan Institute of Economics (TIE) has issued a warning for oil production citing recent figures that show that extraction rates have dropped across the sector. This has been put down to increasing difficulty of pumping as the reserves pressure have dropped as a result of exploitation.

While this is an inevitable, and foreseeable, consequence of oil extraction the Rhand National Oil Company (RNOC) has failed to sufficiently invest in the technology and expertise required to offset this and maintain production at previous rates.

Historically the company has been able to avoid falling productivity by developing newly discovered fields, however the rate of discovery of proven reserves has fallen in recent years, and those discovered have been of lower quality. As a result the much vaunted opening of the Hanxio field is not expected to be able to make up the shortfall.

TIE has warned that without significantly more investment in the sector by the government the sector faces contraction over the next two decades. Given the centrality of oil to the Rhandese economy this could spell trouble in the future if not properly handled.

[Ilan]

---

---

Foreign Educated Mulangata Lawyer Stripped of Citizenship Faces Deportation

Kong Kea Ratnayake, a Mulangata subversive has been stripped of his citizenship after being detained by the Border Police at Tsentsugan International Airport, where he is being held in detention ahead of a Court decision to authorise his deportation.

Ratnayake illegally left the country five years ago using a forged exit permit. While out of the country it is reported that he undertook a course of study in law at a foreign university, specialising in human rights and civil law.

His arrest comes after his attempted return to Rhand with Border Police and officials from the Interior Security Council assessing him as a domestic threat.
The ISC released a statement saying “Kong Kea Ratnayake illegally left the country utilising sophisticated forged documentation in order to attend university in a hostile country. There he has been provided with training aimed at providing him the ability to engage in subversive acts of sabotage against the social harmony of Rhandese Commonwealth. On this basis it is the assessment of the ISC that Ratnayake poses an unacceptable threat of malevolent foreign interference in Rhand’s domestic life and have moved to rescind his citizenship, as such we have applied to the Courts for a deportation order to return him to his point of origin.”

The Bar Association of Rhand also released a statement welcoming the move “We remain clear on our principle that Rhandese law, based as it is on the thousand year tradition of the Shen legal system can only truly be understood and interpreted within the framework of a Shen-Rhan’Di cultural grounding. As such Mulangata tribals are poorly placed to grasp and practice law and are therefore excluded from registering at our accredited schools or ascending to the Bar in Rhand. Ratnayake and others like him seek to circumvent these safeguards by seeking training abroad, this however does not provide them with the knowledge to navigate the Rhandese legal system; rather it trains them in modes of legal thought alien to our land and primes them to become weapons of lawfare against our society. The government must act to shut down the loopholes that allows the infiltration of hostile, alien legal ideology to penetrate into our culture, the deportation of Ratnayake is a step in the right direction.”

Internal Migration and Labour Council Announce Upcoming Passbook Checks

The Minister of Internal Migration and Labour has announced that his department will shortly be carrying out passbook checks for Mulangata residents of the district C townships on the outskirts of Tsentsugan, Songho and Canxhi.

The move comes after influx monitoring teams report population growth in the townships beyond that expected by the current internal migration quotas. The suspicion has arisen that significant numbers of tribals have been illegally moving to the townships from the countryside in search of work.

Minister Zheng Gui has said “The law and our policies are clear, the internal relocation of Mulangata tribals is only allowed with a domestic migration visa issued by the Labour Bureau confirming that they have obtained employment in a non-home district, migration under any other condition is illegal. Unfortunately, the evidence seems to suggest that a number of tribals continue to flaunt this system and move to district C townships without permission leading to a degradation of living standards, increases of disease and crime in the affected areas. This situation cannot be allowed to continue and we have therefore ordered a passbook check to ensure that only those with a legal right to live in district C remain. Those found to not have correct papers will be deported back to their home district.”

The Police forces have been informed of the plans and have begun making preparations to provide security during the operation, while the army has designated units on standby to assist with the deportations and provide support to the police should the need arise.