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. The RSDL was established in its first iteration in 1890 as a fraternal and mutual-aid organization to support Rén men who had migrated to urban areas during the First Great Migration. It was banned by the Laeralian government in 1928, and reestablished in 1978. 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 1978 refounding. The RSDL's ties to Minjian nationalist groups such as the Fuwudui (Fúwù duì, Public Service Corps) remain the subject of debate.

History

First Iteration (1890-1928)

The Rén Self-Defense League was initially established against the backdrop of the First Great Migration, when crop failures and the passage of the 1888 Land Tenure Act led many Rén men to migrate to Riverlands urban centers such as Hanshui for the first time. As these Rén men faced economic hardships and racist harassment in cities, the RSDL emerged to provide banking and mutual protection services. The first chapterhouse of the RSDL was located in Gaolan and founded by veterans of the War of the Seven Provinces, with other chapterhouses quickly springing up in other Riverlands cities. The RSDL quickly developed esoteric practices, including initiation rites and other secret rituals. The RSDL also became interwoven with the Minjian Conclavist movement, with RSDL members among the militiamen fighting during the Peichen Secession Crisis.

After the Avrainville Plot, an attempt on the life of René Gramont in 1928, the Rén Self-Defense League was banned by presidential decree as part of a broader crackdown on Rén nationalism during the Republican Era. This ban expired with the end of the Laeralian Republic.

Second Iteration (1978-Present)

In its second iteration, 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.

In 2018, following armed clashes in Cordeliers between Rén nationalist and skinhead organizations, the chapterhouse of the RSDL's Meng Wei battalion was raided by police and arms were found, resulting in the chapter's forced closure by the Ministry of Justice.

Base of Support

A 2021 estimate of the Rén Self-Defense League's membership suggest that between 2 and 3% of Laeralites are affiliated with the organization, totaling around 2 million people, although experts caution this may be an overestimate. This is believed to represent an all-time high for the organization's second iteration in terms of absolute membership. Although the majority of RSDL members are ethnic Rén, a significant proportion of the RSDL is ethnically Metice.

Organization

The RSDL's highest authority is its Inner Council.

"Common Laeralian Home"/"Common Peninsular Home"