Rén Self-Defense League

The Rén Self-Defense League (RSDL) (Mn: 人民自卫协会, rénmín zìwèi xiéhuì) is a Laeralian Rén-nationalist ethnic organization with paramilitary elements. Variously described as a "militia," "fraternity," or "secret society," the Rén Self-Defense League is a social and political organization which holds Rén-nationalist and Minjian nationalist views. Its members frequently describe the group as a social and cultural organization in the modern day, although it is broadly accepted that the group operated as a paramilitary organization for much of its existence following its founding in 1978. The RSDL's ties to Minjian nationalist groups such as the....remain the subject of debate.

History

The RSDL was founded in 1978 by LNSF Colonel Shi Jau-yuan and his associates as a Rén men's organization to promote cultural practice and self-discipline. Allegations that Shi and other early leaders of the RSDL held ties to the Steel Lance triad, as alleged by Zhang Rumin in his 1996 book Steel Hellions: The True History of the Rén Self-Defense League, are apocryphal, yet many of the RSDL's early members were also among the ranks of the dāo bāng (cleaver gang) triad enforcers active during the postwar period. A nationalist group, the League required from its members an oath of loyalty to their fellows and the broader Rén community.