South Dovani

[Wu Han]

Hanzai Nationalist Militias Deploy to Suman Province Amid SLF Remobilization
20 June 5640 (OOC: Post-dated.)



Na Sap — In the tense days following the Rocket Festival massacre that killed 31 people, including much of the Sumanese Liberation Front’s (SLF) senior leadership, convoys of armed civilians have begun arriving across Suman Province, claiming they are there to “protect Hanzenese citizens” from what they call a “resurgence of terroristic, anti-Hanzai groups.”

The deployments involve fighters affiliated with several hardline nationalist groups, including the National Defence Corps (NDC) and Hanzai Rangers. Local residents in Na Sap, Taeng Daeng, and outlying districts report sightings of pickup trucks and motorcycles flying the flags of nationalist groups, as well as the historical flag of the Kingdom of Hanzen, carrying masked armed men. Some residents have reported that these groups are establishing informal checkpoints along rural roads, where armed militia members reportedly stop and question travellers about their place of birth, family names, and “loyalty to the Hanzenese nation.”

Speaking at a rally in the suburbs of Udon Nakhon, the Hanzai Ranger Commander known by the nom de guerre Chao Yot insisted that the group's presence was strictly defensive:

"After the SLF terrorists vowed to take up arms against the state once again, we could not stand by while communities in Suman are left exposed to their nefarious tricks. We will help the police and military hold the line and keep our people safe from terror." 

The SLF, which had largely demobilized after negotiations with President Surasak Darawan in 5576, declared it would “rearm and remobilize for the defence of the Sumanese people” mere hours after unknown gunmen, identified by witnesses as wearing UPM insignia, opened fire on its leadership at the Bun Bang Fai Festival (Rocket Festival) outside Na Sap. The UPM has not claimed responsibility as of yet, though the National Police have publicly concluded their investigation and laid blame for the attacks on the UPM.

Armed right-wing, nationalist groups have long had a complicated relationship with the SLF. Whereas these groups agree on the goal of restoring the Hanzenese monarchy and fighting against left-wing paramilitary organizations, such as the UPM and People's Liberation Front (PLF), Hanzai nationalists have long rejected the distinction between the Hanzai and Sumanese ethnic groups. According to their arguments, the Sumanese people are "Mountain Hanzai," a regional variant of the larger Hanzai ethnicity, rather than a distinct group of their own.

Analysts say the militias’ rejection of the Sumanese identity is uniquely dangerous in this moment of crisis:

“If a group denies your very existence as a people, then any use of force against you becomes easier to justify,” said Dr. Patham Phraewchai, a conflict researcher at Khattaya University. “This rhetoric lays the foundation for ethnic cleansing, if all Sumanese are simply Hanzai misled by, or loyal to, foreign separatist terror groups – to use their language.”

Prime Minister Prasert Thanomchai (UCF), who vowed to “eliminate the UPM terrorists once and for all” in the massacre’s aftermath, now faces criticism for failing to stem the influx of Hanzai militias into the province despite the ongoing state of emergency. Justice Party (JP) leader Thaksin Luang criticized the government on the floor of the National Assembly today, asking why "peaceful Sumanese protesters have been dispersed and sent home by the military and police, yet armed militias have not been prevented from entering the Suman Province."

Government officials deny coordinating with the militias, but several senior security figures privately acknowledge that the presence of “loyalist civilian auxiliaries” is “not unwelcome,” given increased instability in the wake of the 14 June attack and rearmament of the SLF. 



Hanzen Daily is a major newspaper and online news outlet in South Dovani.

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