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 Krajanesian and the 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 to obtain a mandate from the people, 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. Advised to resign, General Trần Chí Duệ (陈志睿) took over, dissolved the legislature and proceeded to launch the 1967 military coup that ended Kuehong's brief decade of civilian democracy.



The military implemented martial law, took control of all governing institutions and solidified its rule over the country. Nationwide conscription was implemented to assimilate the people's lives under military rule. Corporations and businesses were nationalised and controlled by the military through a unified trade union. The military embarked on a massive infrastructure construction project that was previously proposed but never implemented. While the military's vision for a "stable, peaceful and prosperous society" was welcomed by many after the decade of political turmoil, the few who expressed opposition against the new regime and its overspending of national infrastructure were swiftly silenced. On the fifth anniversary of the coup in 1972, military rule was legitimised with the passing of the 1972 military constitution.

Reformation
In 1979, Tran dies, with a new leader Vũ Tuấn Hưng (武俊兴) taking over, beginning a series of social reforms by loosening restrictions and control over the populace. The new leader went on to build new schools and public services funded by the military. The military went on to encourage start-ups in the country, encouraging military-trained officials to also engage in business activities as well. He eventually made his controversial move to allow immigrants in the country. However, his economic policies also saw the rise of 'undesirable elements' in the government, such as illicit drug trade and corruption in the country. While initially, the government denied such charges, the trade was eventually exposed by the leader's own opponents who were pushing for the 'cleansing' of the military government, leading to a series of resignations of prominent officials including Vu himself in 1984. He was replaced by colonel Trần Tu Tín, who continued such reforms, though he was criticised for being slow on implementing his promises of a better Kuehong. Nevertheless, he is known for his efforts in revising the education and healthcare system in Kuehong. He was forced to resign in 1990 due to his failing health.

The new leader, Lý Duc An (李德恩), took a bold step in the reformation of the government itself. To enhance the credibility of the government, he implemented a system of checks and balances, introducing the two four-year term limits for the chairman post and the formal establishment of the legislature - the National Council - led by a Chief Counsellor. In 1992, after the implementation of the new constitution, he launched the first nationwide elections for the new legislature in Kuehong. However, the 1993 elections, initially hailed as Kuehong's first step to democracy, was quickly dismissed as a sham. Half of the 360 seats in the Council were already earlier appointed by the Congress, while the rest were nominated by the Congress for voters to pick. Some of the defeated candidates revealed that they were paid or intimidated to lose. The number of voters was relatively low (of about 120 000) since those eligible to vote comprises of those who ranks are higher than Major.

In 1994, Ly Duc An, despite his promise not to continue for another term, was controversially re-elected as Chairman by the Congress after he arrested his supposed successor for conspiracy and plotting to overthrow him. With no one able to succeed him and his reluctance to delay elections for Chairman, he continued on as Chairman. This sparked a demonstration in Vang Ngat in September that was immediately put down by the military. Nevertheless, Ly was later overthrown in a coup on 29 April 1996 when the military turned against him after Ly attempted to pass a law to extend his term limit. He was replaced by Colonel Diep Duy Tam, who led the bloodless coup. Diep's verbal attacks on corruption earned him much-needed initial support among the populace. Now-Chairman Diep, in response to mounting pressure for political reform, set up a constitutional review commission, including a team of advisors from the AN, to review the 1974 constitution. The recommendations include allowing direct elections by all ranks of the military (i.e. the whole population above the age of 18) to vote, no interference by the Congress in the nomination of the Chief Counselor, increasing the portion of seats for the national elections, and the right of the Council to impeach the Chairman if he/she abuses his/her power. The recommendations were largely accepted. Hence, the constitution was revised and approved with a majority vote in the council and became effective on 1 January 1997. Meanwhile, Diep established and normalised relations with other nations and signed various trade pacts to allow more overseas companies to operate in Kuehong. This has helped significantly improve the nation's economy. Soon after, the military in agreed to lease an army base in Vang Ngat for AN peacekeeping missions for 50 years over political unrest in the region.

21st century
After the 1998 national elections, regarded as 'fair and free', Diep stepped down as chairman to make way for his brother Diep Quang Nhan. Under his tenure, he has to face several crises, such as the Neeg Rebellion in 2001 and further tensions with Belphenia over its military activities in the Belphenian Sea. He also made the controversial decision to dismiss and arrest the then Chief of the Assembly Những Bất Đồng (formerly Chief Counsellor) and 15 other counsellors over 'deep disagreements' in certain policies, especially his decision to embark on numerous mega-projects and his dealings with the rebellion. In response to growing government opposition, Diep's government disbanded several non-governmental organisations (NGOs), considering them 'a threat to national security'. In 2003, however, Diep made the decision to pardon and release the political prisoners on the condition they will not contest in that year's elections. In response, the candidates which supported the pro-democracy movement boycotted the elections, hence the elections were won largely by those supportive of the military. 2003 also saw the first state elections after the decentralisation of power, allowing states to have more autonomy over their own affairs. Diep was then re-elected for another term as chairman. In 2004, the government also made a surprise reduction of national service duration from three years to two and a half years for males and from two and a half years to two years for women. Later that year, the government also legalised of casino gambling, to increase its attractiveness as a tourist destination.



In 2009, eastern Kuehong was hit by a severe typhoon, followed by an earthquake. Despite measures put in place to combat the typhoon, there was severe damage to the nation's infrastructure and resulted in deaths estimated from 80,000 to 200,000. The damage from these events resulted in the delays in elections as recovery efforts were made in the low-laying eastern regions which were negatively affected. In 2011, Dipe stepped down and the military committee voted in favour of Vu Yền Lực. The Vu administration took steps to redevelop the damaged areas. Vu, thanks to his efforts to redevelop the damaged areas and social reforms to help the growing elderly population, has gained the support of the majority and was re-elected for another term. In 2018, Vu has floated proposals for further political reforms, including the possibility of a direct election for the Chairman.

Government and politics
Kuehong is a federal parliamentary republic ruled by a military junta. The constitution declares the rule of the military legitimate since 1974 and hence it is a stratocracy, one of the few nations under the system, with the population of Kuehong all considered part of the military under the constitution. 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 General Committee, 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.

There has been a number of reforms in the government since the 80s, which nowadays gives the legislative more power over decisions, including the power to impeach the Chairman. The reforms also saw the gradual introduction of democracy in the country, with citizens being able to vote for the counsellors in the Assembly. However, central power remains in the Committee, which can force a reconsideration of legislation. The committee can propose new bills, issue subordinate legislation, and has authority to dissolve the legislature.

The Chief of the Assembly is nominated by the Committee and elected by the 280 Counsellors. All of the counsellors, in turn, are elected by the people through a national election. Candidates for the Assembly needed to go through a 'screening process' by the Election Committee. All of the counsellors are not affiliated to any political party (since political parties are banned) but normally aligned themselves into two ideological groups: the pro-military camp (the current majority) and the pro-democracy camp. The elections for the Assembly is held every five years (with the exception of 2009, which was delayed until 2011 due to a severe typhoon), the most recent of which was held in 2016. Registered military personnel of age 21 and above may vote for the members of the Assembly and, in most of the states, for the state legislative chamber. Voting remains mandatory, but in recent years this has been debated upon.

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 runs parallel with 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.

Despite the political reforms allowing greater democracy in Kuehong, critics still maintained that the regime remains authoritarian. There still remains on restrictions of speech and transparency of the government, but many acknowledged the improvements in freedoms and the rule of law and justice in Kuehong. For example, in 2016, the Assembly managed to pass certain changes regarding the National Penal Code, changing the policy from mandatory to discretionary capital punishment.

Foreign relations
Kuehong's current foreign policy is to "consistently implement a policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, co-operation, and positive development" with regard to Kuehong and other nations. Foreign relations with Ulethan nations since the 21st century has markedly improved; it has previously been strained due to the nation's human rights abuses under military rule and remained largely isolated due to sanctions and arms embargo. Ties were reestablished with Kuehong took massive reforms in its political system. Meanwhile, Kuehong still has close ties with Northern Archantan nations, with such corporations having invested into the country and extracting the country's natural resources.

Bilateral relations with Cinasia and Fayaan remain strong. Previously, however, Kuehong refused to recognise its neighbours' sovereignty and has claimed them as part of Kuehong even after the partitioning of Muinon, resulting in the Muinon Confrontation that continued until the 50s. Since the end of the confrontation, ties were established with the Cinasian and the Fayaan governments in 1960 and 1962 respectively. However, territorial disputes still remain and efforts have been made to resolve such issues.

Kuehong in recent years has also taken an increasingly active role on the international stage. It has contributed troops to the international peacekeeping effort and has hosted the Archantan office for the Assembly of Nations Peacekeeping troops, in addition to leasing several bases for AN peacekeeping training. It is also a member of the Assembly of Nations.

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.