Kuehong

Kuehong (Kuehongese: 家乡 Quê Hương pronounced [kweˈhɔŋ]), officially the Federal Republic of Kuehong (Kuehongese: 共和联邦家乡 Cộng hòa liên bang Quê Hương), is a republic located on the Muinon Peninsula in northern Archanta. To its north it is Fayaan, while to its southwest it borders with Cinasia. Kuehong has a population of 32 million, out of which 72% are native Kue, with the remaining being Bai, Neeg or other ethnic minorities. The capital is Bakdep (北叶 Bắc Đẹp), while Namthinhvuong (南盛旺 Nam Thịnh Vượng) is the largest city and the key financial centre of the country.

Kuehong was inhabited from as early as 20 000 BC. The Kue established their first kingdom in 500 BC and became a vassal state of the Bai until the Hoai Dynasty. In the 15th to 16th century, the region was annexed to be part of the Bai Empire (under the Suo Dynasty). The Kue later became part of the Yuet Kingdom which rebelled against the Suo but failed to gain control of Bai Proper, leading into the Peninsula War. After which, the Yuet became subjected to foreign powers. In 1928, the Kue rebelled against the Cinasian Republic that succeeded the Yuet. Shortly after its official independence, Kuehong became a communist state, which was overthrown through a military coup in 1959. The new military junta shortly after unified with Northern Cinasia to form the Federal Republic. In 1967, after a decade of political instability, the military seized power and transformed Kuehong into a stratocracy. Kuehong developed rapidly under military rule, and the military initiated a series of economic and political reforms in the 80s that facilitated Kuehong's integration into world politics and the global economy.

Till today, Kuehong is still embroiled in rampant ethnic strifes in the rural areas in Loi Xo, Trac Khe and Phuong Lam, despite efforts in securing peace in the region. Being a stratocracy, it has a strong military force consisting entirely of the population. Although there are large improvements in the quality of education, healthcare, life expectancy, personal safety and housing, it continues to face challenges including poverty, corruption and inadequate social welfare, alongside allegations of human rights abuses against ethnic minorities.

Etymology
Kuehong is an Ingerish transliteration of Quê Hương (家乡), which means "homeland" in the Kue language. The name could be traced back to the establishment of the Third Kue Kingdom in the 7th century AD. The term "Quê", which the Kue people called themselves since the 3rd century BC, was first written as "圭" until the Bai colonisation of the area, during which the Bai characters used for the Kue language were heavily revised. First written in early Bai traveller records, the term "Quê" means "family", which the explorers then took as the name of the native people. Since then up till around the 4th century AD, the term was used for the natives on the Muinon Peninsula.

In the 17th century, an Ingerish explorer came to the Bai colony and misspelt the name as "Kwehong", which appeared on maps published by Uletha in the subsequent centuries. Another spelling, "Kuehong", emerged later in the 19th century, and is widely used today. Other spelling variants, such as "Kue-hong", "Que Hong", "Quehong" or "Kue Hong", have also been used by other nations to refer to the state.

Geography
Kuehong lies above the Tropic of Cancer and is located between the 27N and 30N latitude. The country is rather temperate. Kuehong also experiences hot, humid weather from June through September, while typhoons are relatively common.

Kuehong has two mountain ranges generally from northeast to southwest, in contrast to the flat to gently rolling plains of the coastal areas, where most of the population generally reside.

Prehistory and early kingdoms
Archaeological evidence suggests that the peninsula has been inhabited since 50 000 BC. The early inhabitants are widely believed to have migrated from the Bai region on Archanta Minor and intermarried with settlers from eastern Uletha. By the 10th century BC, the settlers evolved into two major ethnic groups – the Co Xua (predecessor of the Kue) and the Neegs. At this point, early city-states and kingdoms emerged, which occasionally cooperate or compete against one another.

These city-states consolidated into two major kingdoms over time. By the 5th century BC, the Kue established their So Tai Kingdom on the northern half of the peninsula, while the Neegs established the Zhin/Zuchaw (致賢) Kingdom that has firm control over southern Cinasia. The intense rivalry between the two kingdoms led to many wars over the disputed frontier between the two kingdoms. At the same time, these two competed for influence over the Thoe and Pwaka tribes residing in the mountains and the eastern coast of the peninsula.

The So Tai Kingdom eventually collapsed with the Kue lords' defeat in the Third Neeg-Kue War. The emerging Bai Fu Dynasty assisted the Zuchaws by supplying their own forces and equipment to the Neegs. Shortly after the Fu collapsed, however, the new Zuchaw King rebelled against the Qiang Dynasty who demanded more control over the Zuchaws. The Qiang backed the restoration of the Kue Kingdom, which overthrew the Zuchaws.

Firmly controlling the entire peninsula, the Kue remained under the overlordship of the Bai. While exercising a high degree of autonomy over their own affairs, resentment against the Bai occasionally led to rebellions, many of which were suppressed. In the 6th century AD, over a dispute of trade rights, the Meng Dynasty attempted to invade the Kue, who repelled the invasions. In the later half of the century, however, the Kue court was embroiled in internal strife, which led to its downfall soon after. With the collapse of the second Kue kingdom, the peninsula descended into civil war until the emergence of Ly Lac at the turn of the 7th century.

Hoai Kingdom
Under Ly Lac, who named himself Vua Khôn Ngoan (Wise King), the new Kue kingdom began to flourish under the Hoai Dynasty. Buddhism, brought over by Kazhal missionaries during its establishment, was adopted as its state religion. Subsequent Vuas built Buddhist temples across the country while discouraging tribal religions. As Bai disintegrated into many princely states, the Kue replaced the Bai as the dominant power in the region. Uniting the various tribes, the Kue language and culture became dominant in the region.

Ties with the princely states, however, remained rocky after the death of Ly Lac. Several Bai states attempted to invade the Kue which were unsuccessful. Eventually, the Kue subjected these states under their control for the remainder of the Bai Princes' Era. The Bai and Kue became intertwined for subsequent centuries due to intermarriages between the Bai and Kue princes and princesses.



With the unification of the Bai states in the 12th century AD, the situation reversed as the Kue became a semi-autonomous vassal state and compulsory ally of the First Bai Dynasty. The relationship with the Bai saw the decline of Buddhism on the peninsula and the adoption of Confucianism as the state ideology. As the First Bai declined, the Hoai Vuas made reforms to reduce their reliance on Bai while addressing the social problems that were plaguing the kingdom. However, mass corruption rendered these measures ineffective, and the Hoais suffered an economic breakdown when the First Bai Dynasty collapsed in the 14th century AD.

Bai control
Besieged with financial problems, and repeated incursions by Ninwan warriors on the peninsula, the last Kue King hoped to appease the Ninwans by signing many treaties. This, however, allowed the Ninwans to slowly take over the peninsula. Shortly after the death of the last king, the Ninwan Suo Dynasty proceeded to annex the kingdom through the Mui Campaign. The Kue lords, who resisted the invasion, were forced to surrender through the Treaty of Cong Bang. Purging the Kue lords after their surrender, the Ninwan installed their own officials to govern the peninsula.

Under Suo annexation, many Bai arrived as soldiers, civil servants, construction workers, and traders. By 1527, the Bai settlers outnumbered the natives by at least three times. The Bai settlers dominated commercial and civil life on the peninsula while influencing the local culture and language. Over time, however, the Suo began to lose control over the peninsula as it stagnated. The Suo allowed foreign powers to establish new settlements on the peninsula while tolerating the presence of rebels who fled to the peninsula in the aftermath of the failed White Dragon Rebellion.

In 1623, the Bai rebels proclaimed the establishment of the Yuet Dynasty. The Suo were defeated attempting to reclaim the peninsula, which led to its eventual collapse in 1671. The Yuet attempted to establish itself as the legitimate successor of the Suo Dynasty. However, with the Mai coup in Baijing, the Yuet were unable to solidify their control over all of Bai. The Lin Dynasty attempted to take down the Yuet but the Yuet managed to last through with foreign assistance. The Yuet went on the offensive but with many casualties, the war ended with a stalemate.

Yuet Dynasty
In the aftermath, the Yuet virtually became a client state of the colonial powers which backed the kingdom. The Yuet formalised the Castellanese and Lentian takeover of the northern region of the peninsula while granting extraterritorial rights to foreign traders on the peninsula. In the 18th century, however, the Yuet began to take advantage of the foreign trade while slowly enacting reforms by introducing Ulethan political, judicial and military institutions. In 1823, the Yuet acquired control of the former Ingerish settlements, including Yuethon, but was forced to cede Port Dunghoi to the Middle Bai Dynasty shortly after.

With the rise of educated Kue scholars in the 19th century, the peninsula saw a wave of Kue nationalism. To suppress the "Kue awakening", the Yuet enacted elitist entrance requirements to study in universities or abroad, while creating obstacles for the Kue to find jobs on the peninsula. Resentful of Bai elitism, the independence movement began to gain traction, with the creation of an armed militia Alliance for the Liberation of Kuehong, which aimed to bring about independence by force. Meanwhile, certain segments of the Bai population hoped for more democratic reforms in the Yuet government, which continued to maintain absolute control over the people.

At the end of the 19th century, the last Yuet Emperors became indifferent to governing the kingdom and enacted gradual reforms to transition the Yuet to a constitutional monarchy. The Yuet Advisory Council was established to allow elected representatives to guide the country. The Kue was represented by the more moderate Kue National Alliance (KNA), and the Bai workers and unionists under the Progressive Commerce Guild. Despite their differences, the Alliance and the Guild agreed to cooperate for gradual reforms. In 1904, several politicians in the Council managed to negotiate the Loang Kheuch Agreement that guaranteed the gradual transition of the Yuet to a constitutional monarchy within 10 years. However, several radical Kue nationalists and other minorities protested against the Agreement, while many reformists demanded more radical changes. Widespread protests in the 1900s led to the overthrowing of the Yuet Kingdom and the establishment of the Cinasian Republic through the Five Powered Revolution on 2 July 1912.

Muinon War and communist era
The establishment of the republic, however, did not resolve the rising ethnic tensions on the peninsula. The early republic was embroiled in political instability until the election of Ho Ling Wha (郝齡話) as its third president in 1920. Intending to suppress the Kue rebels, he enacted many anti-Kue laws that heavily restricted the Kue's political, legal and civil rights. In protest against the rigged legislative elections in 1928 and the passing of the Denatualisation Law, the Kue proclaimed a rival government in Phong Thinh on 1 August that year.

Ho attempted to suppress the Kue rebellion which culminated in the Muinon War. Aided by communist guerillas, the Kue resisted the Cinasian intervention and achieved formal independence as the sovereign Kuehong Free State on 20 August 1938. Shortly afterwards, the Kuehong Free State transformed into a communist state through the 31st October Movement that year. Meanwhile, Northern Cinasia, the region that would be today's eastern Kuehong, was pressured to remain in Cinasia despite wide cultural differences between them (who are culturally closer to the Kue) and the rest of Cinasia. After Ho's sudden death in 1940, Cinasia plunged into civil war as Cinasian communists attempted to take over the greatly weakened republican government. Avoiding the conflict, the Northern Cinasians declared the creation of their own government in Namthinhvuong and remained largely independent of Cinasia during the 40s and 50s.

The communist regime in Kuehong, while initially seeing significant social reforms and huge spending on key infrastructure projects, later went into decline due to financial mismanagement and Democratic Kuehong fell into an economic crisis. So Mot, leader of the Kue communists, became more repressive and implemented extreme measures that greatly isolated Kuehong in desperate bids to improve the economic situation. This included his infamous Nhảy Tuyệt Vời policy that forcibly relocated the urban population to the countryside to work on collective farms and industrial areas set up in the rural areas. Meanwhile, he purged many officials to ensure his grip on power and eliminate those who attempt to subvert his regime. These mass killings, coupled with malnutrition and poor medical care, killed between 1.5 and 2 million people, approximately a quarter of the population. Many Kues were forced to flee into Northern Cinasia. Repeated purges generated growing discontent; by 1950 the military was mounting a rebellion in the east.

After a decade of coups and nepotistic rule, Northern Cinasia stabilised in 1953 with 朴元淳 Phác Nguyên Thuần (Pu Yuanfeng) implementing the much-needed economic and political reforms in the country. After proclaiming its official independence in 1955, the Cinasian republic government recovering from the civil war attempted to reclaim the region through Operation Zhuwan. However, without adequate air support by the Federal States, the operation was unsuccessful and only widened the political differences between the two states.

Reunification and military rule
In 1956, the Kuehongese military overthrew the communists through a violent coup. While the Kue initially welcomed the end of communist rule, protests erupted against the military regime which refused to introduce democratic reforms. The new military leaders worked on a plan to merge with Northern Cinasia due to strong historical and cultural ties between the two states. It is believed that unification will preserve their influence in a new united government while alleviating the economic problems in the post-communist era. Meanwhile, Northern Cinasia hoped for an alliance with the new regime to ensure its independence and counter the Cinasian and the Federal States' influence in the region. In 1958, Northern Cinasian President Phung Kinh Gu proposed unification of the two Kue-populated regions.

Through negotiations and a referendum, the Federal Republic of Kuehong was established in 1961. The new country, however, faced numerous ethnic and political strife, which cumulated into the assassination of president Phung in 1966. At the same time, Cinasia attempted incursions into Kuehong with aerial bombings in the southern region. Facing multiple problems, Phung's successor 尹泰日 Doãn Thái Nhật turned towards the military for assistance and support. With the civilian administration greatly weakened and widely perceived by the public as inept, Kuehong's Prime Minister and Chief of Defence Forces General Trần Chí Duệ (陈志睿) proceeded to seize power through the 1967 military coup that ended Kuehong's brief decade of civilian democracy.



Taking over as Chairman of the "interim" State Council for National Security and Stability, Tran Chi Due implemented martial law which allowed the military to assume absolute control over all aspects of governance. Tran had the legislatures dissolved "temporarily" and suspended the constitution in the name of reestablishing order in the country. The coup was welcomed by many after the decade of political turmoil and supported the military's vision for a "stable, peaceful and prosperous society". The few who expressed opposition against the coup and the dictatorship were swiftly silenced and purged.

Since the coup, the military has maintained its absolute control over the country. Corporations were nationalised and brought under military control through various military-backed trade unions. Upholding many policies of the previous regime, Tran embarked on a series of massive construction projects while industrialising the country with the help of the Bai Empire. Retaining tight control over the media, the military outlawed political parties and indefinitely suspended elections through the 1972 military constitution that formalised its control over the country. In 1971, Tran implemented nationwide conscription to assimilate people's lives into the military.

With Tran's death in 1979, his successor Vũ Tuấn Hưng (武俊兴) gradually relaxed the military's control over the country. Alongside a series of social reforms (such as new schools and hospitals to cater to the growing population), the military also liberalised the economy for trade with other nations. Relations were normalised with Cinasia, Fayaan and the Federal States, which allowed more foreign direct investments into the country.

However, his position was threatened by rival Tran Tu Tin, who opposed his economic policies. Accusing Vu of corruption and his alleged involvement in the illicit drug trade, Tran's military faction launched a silent coup against Vu in 1984. Tran, while continuing Vu's social policies, abandoned trade deals with the Federal States and fostered closer relations with the Bai Empire. The Bai Empire continued to supply arms and supported its occupation of the Shaacharu Islets, which remained contested between Cinasia and Kuehong since the Shaachrau Civil War.

With his declining health, Tran was succeeded by Lý Duc An (李德恩) in 1990. Ly, who has promised political reforms that allowed his rise to power, established a legislature and introduced term limits for the chairmanship. However, the members of the newly-formed 60-member National Assembly was largely a rubber-stamp parliament, with the junta (Central Security and Stability Council) continuing to retain absolute control. Rejecting calls for an election to establish a fully elected legislature, Ly went on to announce that he intended to serve beyond his term limit, stating that he needed more time to ensure a "smooth, democratic transition" for the country. Quickly losing support of the people and the military, Ly was ousted in a coup in 1996 led by Diep Duy Tam.

"Hybrid Democracy" Era
Diep, with the assistance of the Assembly of Nations (AN) and the Federal States, revised the constitution and replaced the 60-member legislative body with a fully elected legislature. Diep oversaw the country's first fully-free legislative elections before stepping down in 1998. Before stepping down, Diep inaugurated the new capital Bakdep, which replaced Namthinhvuong.

Diep Quang Nhan, the brother of his predecessor, led Kuehong at the beginning of the 21st century. Under his administration, Kuehong maintained its economic growth while facing ethnic and political strife. The 2001 Neeg Rebellion led to the Neeg Insurgency which continued to the present day. In 2003, which saw the first state elections alongside its second nationwide legislative elections, several candidates were barred from contesting which rigged the elections in favour of the military. In 2006, several NGOs were shut down, while Assembly members and political critics were arrested in a crackdown against corruption and national security threats. The crackdown comes as the economy began to stagnate and the insurgency began to intensify. From 2006 to 2007, a series of national protests broke out which were quelled brutally.



Tensions flared in the region from 2005 to 2009 as Kuehong rapidly expanded its scope for its missile programme. Rolling back on its commitments to the 1999 Shaacharu Armistice, Kuehong launched a series of military strikes on the disputed islets from 2007 to 2009. In 2009, the eastern ears of the country were hit by a severe typhoon, followed by the Phung Tau Earthquake. The disasters led to widespread infrastructural damage and a death toll of around 800 to 2000. The damage led to Diep's term extension, which was met with some protests. To receive international aid and assistance, Kuehong de-escalated military tensions and pledged further political reforms after its recovery.

Since 2011, Kuehong is led by NSSC Chairman Vu Yen Luc, who made a series of judicial reforms. While many political prisoners were released, restrictions on political activism remain in place. Still, in 2015, the legislative elections saw the pro-democracy faction gaining more seats in the Assembly. Despite peace efforts, negotiations with the Neeg insurgents reached an impasse. Vu made efforts to centralise more power, with frequent dissolutions of the state legislatures. In 2021, Vu announced he will be stepping down, with Le Van Kie set to succeed him. The 2021 elections saw a victory for many of the pro-military candidates.

Government and politics
Kuehong is a federal parliamentary republic ruled by a military junta. With military rule legitimised since the 1972 Constitution, political power rests in the hands of the military officials, who assimilated the entire population of Kuehong under the military. It is an executive-led governing system, with the National Security and Stability Council (NSSC) as the executive branch. The head of state is the Chairman of the National Council, who serves for at most two five-year terms, while the head of government is the Chief of the National Advisory Assembly (Chief of the Assembly), the leader of the federal legislative branch.

With the reforms of the 90s and the 20th century, limited powers were discharged to the National Assembly, which allows it to amend the Constitution, enact and amend basic legislation and determine "major state issues worthy of legislative action". The National Assembly is a fully-elected body, with its 600 members elected through national elections held every 5 years. It is led by the Chief of the Assembly, who is elected by the legislative body. The nine states also have their state legislative chambers with state elections running concurrently with the national elections. True political power, however, rests in the NSSC and its respective State Commanders. The NSSC has the authority to dissolve the national and state assemblies and postpone elections indefinitely.

The Supreme National's Court of Kuehong, headed by a chief justice, is the country's highest court of appeal. The legal system of Kuehong is the legal system of the military. Beneath the Supreme People's Court stand the provincial municipal courts and numerous local courts. Kuehong is known to have very tough penalties for certain offences as rape, rioting, vandalism, and certain immigration offences. Homosexuality is banned in Kuehong.

Foreign relations
Kuehong's foreign policy is to "consistently implement a policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, co-operation, and positive development" for the country and other nations. Kuehong remains isolated from the Ulethan nations and the Federal States over its human rights abuses and missile programme, with sanctions and arms embargo imposed on the military government. Kuehong has tense relations with its neighbours Fayaan and Cinasia, particularly over border disputes and the Shaachrau Crisis.

The country has close military and economic ties to the Bai Empire. Bai corporations have generally remained willing to continue investing in the country, particularly in natural resource extraction. In turn, Kuehong was known to supply arms and assist in developing new non-nuclear weapons systems for the Bai Empire. Kuehong also has close economic ties with countries in Archanta and Tarephia, with trade and military agreements signed with Majesia, Sae, Grinzez, Drull, Rhododactylia, Cabelia and Tigeria.

Military
Being a stratocracy, all aspects of Kuehong's politics fall under the military and influences people's livelihoods as well. Under the stratocracy, everyone is considered part of the Kuehongese military. The Kuehongese People's Defence Forces (KPDF) consists of the Kuehong People's Army, the Kuehong People's Public Security and the Kuehong Civil Defence Force, headed by the Chairman of the General Committee. The KPDF consists of the army, air force and navy. The KPDF is assisted by resources from its secret services - the Domestic Military Intelligence Directorate (DMID) and the International Military Intelligence Agency of Kuehong (IMIAK). Besides being involved in various border conflicts with its neighbours, the KPDF has recently taken part in several peacekeeping missions worldwide.

As Kuehong is a stratocracy, the military strength of the country consists of the entire population above 12. Most Kuehongese are drafted into the military at the age of 18, with men serving for two years and six months and women two years. Only healthy personnel above 18 and below 55 are to be in the armed forces, with others taking up voluntary community services or other less-active roles in the military. Kuehong has one of the world's highest percentage of citizens with military training.

Political divisions
Kuehong is a federation of nine states and one federal territory. Governance of the states is officially divided between the federal and the state governments, with different powers reserved for each, ever since the 2003 decentralisation of power. However, many said that Federal government, while it has direct administration of the federal territories, remains to have huge control over the states as well.

The states, in turn, are further divided into prefectures or districts.

States

 * Vang Ngat flag.png Vang Ngat
 * Kuehongese_state_flag_8.png Loi Xo
 * Kuehongese state flag 2.png Trac Ke
 * Kuehongese state flag 4.png Bo Sinh
 * Kuehongese state flag 3.png Phuong Lam
 * Kuehongese state flag 5.png Chien Linh
 * Kuehongese state flag 1.png Thai Bau
 * Kuehongese state flag 6.png Dau Ho
 * Kuehongese state flag 7.png Da Ma

Language
Kuehong has three official languages - Kuehongese (also its national language), Babelic (Bai) and Ingerish. Kuehongese is spoken by the majority of the population, while Bai is generally spoken by the ethnic Bai population in Kuehong. There is an increasing number of Ingerish speakers in Kuehong after Ingerish language lessons were made compulsory since 2001 when it became the official language.

Kuehongese is one of the few languages with active digraphia. Officially, it uses both Xinbaizi (simplified Bai characters) and Mautu (modified Romantian). Xinbaizi is used in the majority of textbooks, novels, road signs, official documents and newspapers. Sometimes, and increasingly, Mautu is used alongside Xinbaizi, especially since Mautu has become more popular and widely used by the younger generation. In 2017, it is found that Kuehongese speakers are able to read Mautu but a significant portion (at 28%) are unable to read Xinbaizi. There have also been calls to abolish Xinbaizi, especially during a mass rally in Vang Ngat in 2016 which led to violent clashes after radical protestors defaced road signs using Xinbaizi.