Edo Edi Essum- Foreign Policy

In response to the relentlessly draconian State Atheism in Rasvidi, the Holy Empire of Edo Edi Essum has instituted an embargo on the godless nation.

Furthermore, Edo Edi Essum begs Rasvidi to spare execution for the openly Christian in its atheistic nation. Such martyrs would be greatly appreciated in EEE; our government will compensate travel expenses in order to allow Rasvidian Christians to safely immigrate to Edo Edi Essum.

Supreme Holy Technocrat Roberto VI

In a news conference today, Chairman Pralnikov heavily condemned the words and actions of the Edo Edi Essum government. Our glorious leader reiterated his position on enforcing state atheism, listing such evils as Imperialism and Monarchism as being intrinsically linked to religion. He has pointed to the decline in crime as evidence of the success of Rasvidi's anti-religious policies. It should be noted that only 60 years ago, the current Rasvidi government overthrew an oppressive monarchy.

He has also stated that Rasvidi will seek an embargo on Edo Edi Essum in response, and will enter into negotiations with neighbours and allies to organize a blockade on all EEE goods. Politicians in Rasvidi are using these recent events to highlight the conflict and strife that arises from religion, stepping up efforts to persecute religious individuals. Chairman Pralnikov has also stated his intention to raise the number of atheists in Rasvidi from 85% of the population to 95%.

Chairman Pralnikov also extended his condolences and sympathies to the people of EEE, and has offered all free-minded atheists in EEE safe haven in Rasvidi.

The IRSC, having seen the reports regarding Rasvidi and Edo Edi Essum, made no official statement regarding its opinion on the tensions between the two nations, however, it was announced that it was in the best interest of Isis Rakael and her citizens to watch the situation closely, given Edo Edi Essum's proximity to IR-controlled territory. It was also stated that any officials attempting to involve Isis Rakael in the conflict, i.e. trade embargoes or seeking alliance, would be turned away. When asked about a Rakaelian armored brigade out of Alon currently moving southwest to the newly established village of Kosvit, which lies just north of the Edo Edi Essum city of Bazra, the IRSC stated that the mission of the brigade was to protect and assist the citizens of Kosvit as they built and established their village. No explanation was given for the sighting of an IRN destroyer traveling through international waters just north of the nation of Rasvidi.

As the Rasvidian government itself admits, 15% of its population in not atheistic. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that 5% of the population is secretly religious.

Edo Edi Essum assumes that 2% of its population is actually not Catholic. .1% of the population admits this and is therefore detained. The atheists are not mistreated; EEE prisons are extremely humane. Nonetheless, their general stubbornness makes them very difficult to convert. Indefinite imprisonment is expensive.

Mutual (non-)religious imprisonment in very expensive. Perhaps an exchange is in order? Our delegations can meet in a neutral location (Kiral, IR) to arrange reasonable transportation. Rasvidi will receive our atheists and we will take your religious, regardless of their current beliefs. This is both merciful and economical.

Official opinions?

The IRSC will agree to serve as a neutral site, but warns that any attempt to involve Isis Rakael in any other way will result in immediate removal from IR and potential sanctions against the offending nation. Given the sensitive nature of the city of Kiral (mainly due to military R&D), however, any discussions would take place in the city of Cosic.

The Rasvidi government will tentatively accept the proposal of an exchange of prisoners, as long as certain conditions are respected. Most importantly, prisoners in Rasvidi that are sentenced for execution will not be available for the exchange, the reason being that these are Rasvidi born citizens who have breached Rasvidi law and customs in such a way as to warrant a punishment of death; allowing them to live freely could, in the eyes of the state, jeopardize people's safety and undermine the Rasvidi justice system. Rasvidi would be more willing to make prisoners sentenced to life terms available for exchange.

Conversely, Rasvidi requests that for each prisoner released to the Edo Edi Essum government, Rasvidi receives one prisoner in return who is sentenced to death on the basis of his or her atheistic beliefs or practices. The government wishes to save the lives of otherwise innocent, free minded individuals. If the government of Edo Edi Essum does not wish to honour this condition, then each prisoner from Rasvidi must be exchanged with two prisoners from Edo Edi Essum if they are not to be executed.

If these conditions cannot be met, then the government of Rasvidi cannot accept such a deal.

In response to tentative prisoner exchange to take place in the Rakaelian city of Cosic, the IRSC issues a statement to the governments of both Edo Edi Essum and Rasvidi:

Quote :

Because Cosic shall serve as a neutral site should the governments of Edo Edi Essum and Rasvidi choose to proceed with this prisoner exchange, the IRSC will transport prisoners and foreign officials from both nations to Cosic by means of military transports. EEE parties are to report to the city of Bazra, where Rakaelian military personnel from the city of Kosvit will pick them up and transport them to Cosic. Rasvidi parties are to report to the capital city of Ulyanovsk, where a Rakaelian Navy destroyer will pick them up and bring them to Cosic. The reasoning behind our demand that transportation be conducted by the Rakaelian military is to ensure the arrival of both parties and to make sure that the deal occurs as agreed upon. Should this request be denied by either party, the IRSC will rescind the offer to use Cosic as a neutral site.

Non-violent prisoners are never executed in EEE. However, tentative death sentences will be put upon the atheists to ensure a greater ratio of saved Rasvidians.

Edo Edi Essum begs Rasvidi to spare the death penalty to all of its faithful. The overwhelming majority of the religious Rasvidians pose absolutely no threat to your government. Execution is draconian and unreasonable.

Finally, we will only exchange for confirmed Christians, as our number of atheists is eclipsed by your nation's population of faithful. Unfortunately, the numbers of souls we can buy is limited.

Let formal negotiations commence.

[OOC- Rasvidi, would you be willing to do a jailbreak RP for the soon-to-be-executed faithful?]

OOC: Yeah, sure. Seperate thread or keep it in this one? Also, holy cow, 6 users online all at once! New record

The government of Rasvidi agrees to these terms. Our government will select 500 inmates who have been confirmed and documented as professing an allegiance to the Christian organization. Each inmate has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for crimes ranging from religious misconduct to attempted assimilation. In return, we expect at least 1000 atheists who have not been sentenced to death, or 500 atheists who have been sentenced to death, or a mixture thereof where 1 Rasvidi prisoner sentenced to life is worth 2 Edo Edi Essum prisoners sentenced to life or 1 Edo Edi Essum prisoner sentenced to death.

If Edo Edi Essum cannot procure an acceptable number of atheists from it's prison system, then Rasvidi is willing to sell each of our surplus inmates for $500,000 each.

It is agreed then. 500 EEE atheists under the "death sentence" will be exchanged for 500 Risvidian Christians. Two state Airbus A380s will be sent to Cosic; one containing the 500 atheists, flight staff, medical personnel, and soldiers to maintain order;the other merely flight staff and soldiers.

The Rasvidians will be securely transferred into the more vacant Airbus A380. Then, our atheists will securely transfer into your government's large plane.

If this exchange succeeds, larger operations can be arranged in the future.

[OOC- It will be a different thread. I'll start it Wednesday.]

In order for the IRSC to agree to let you use Cosic as a neutral site for this exchange, you must agree to the terms given to you. The Rakaelian military will handle any and all transportation of foreign officials and prisoners. EEE officials and prisoners are to report to the city of Bazra, where military transports from the Rakaelian village of Kosvit will carry them to Cosic. Rasvidi officials and prisoners are to report to Ulyanovsk, where Rakaelian naval vessels will take them aboard and transport them to Cosic. Both nations are allowed 10 military personnel if they so desire to bring them. Security will be handled by Rakaelian military personnel. This demand is made for the safety of both parties, as well as for the safety of the Rakaelian people. Any and all foreign aircraft found on a course to any major Rakaelian city will be given one warning to turn back or it will be fired upon. These are the terms.

Written at the bottom of the memo is: "Try it, try it! I've got some newly installed long-range missile batteries I'm dying to try."

and

"And yes, there is a point to my wanting to control transportation."

Rasvidi will have the prisoners waiting at the Venedikt N. Pralnikov Naval Port in Ulyanovsk to be boarded when Rakaelian naval vessels arrive. Foreign Commissar Yelena Stasova will accompany the troop shipment, along with 10 military personnel assigned to her for protection. She is to have complete control over these personnel for the duration of the trip, and they will not respond to orders given by Rakaelian officials. Stasova can, however, issue orders seen as necessary upon request to do so. What constitutes as necessary, however, will be at our Commissar's discretion. Rasvidi will not have it's military commanded by foreign officials, under any circumstances, and they have been instilled with the training and discipline to resist such orders even under the most extraordinary of situations.

Rasvidi would also like to discuss, during the exchange, the possibility of a long-term agreement to export all but the most serious of religious offenders from Rasvidi to Edo Edi Essum for the sum mentioned previously, $500,000 per prisoner.

(OOC: No, I didn't read over this after typing it up, so excuse the grammatical errors, typoes, missing words, and general foolishness you may find in this post.)

She stood silently on the deck of the IRN destroyer Shrike, hands clasped behind her back, as she watched the smaller transport vessels of her fleet break off and head toward the Venedikt N. Pralknikov Naval Port which lay only a half-mile south of where the Shrike and the destroyer Camisard dropped anchor. It was a simple mission: pick up Rasvidian officials and prisoners and bring them to Cosic. It was a mission unworthy of her time and attention, but there she was anyway, ordered by the President himself. She clenched her fists briefly then released. There was nothing she could do about it. He was the President. The Commander in Chief. She was not required to approve of what she was asked to do, she was only required to do it. She came to an unhappy acceptance of the situation. She was already there, anchored and waiting. She spotted two naval crewmen goofing off and barked at them to get back to work. They snapped to attention and hurried off. She smiled. She might have to report to the President, but she had an entire fleet under her command. After all, she was Admiral Jana Sokolic, a member of the Isis Rakael Security Council, the elite group of men and women who served as the right hand of the President.

She stood where she was a moment longer and then left for the small water craft that was waiting for her on the Shrike's port side. She boarded and it took off toward toward the port. Flanking her was a squad of heavily armed and armored soldiers; soldiers bound not by the rules of the standard military, but by the IRSC itself. Wherever members of the Council went, they went, sworn to protect their charges with their lives, and they did so well. Of date, no member of the IRSC had ever been killed while in office. They had no names, no faces. As far as the public was concerned, they did not exist. When they were recruited by the IRSC, they simply vanished from their beds at night, gone with no trace. It was how it had to be.

Her craft docked near the Messana, a Rakaelian transport frigate that was in the process of boarding prisoners. As she de-boarded her own vessel, she looked at the lines of prisoners and shook her head. It was a sad affair. Isis Rakael had a policy of freedom of religion, but this was not their fight. They could only be a neutral party. A gust of wind blew her jet black hair into her eyes and she brushed it back before placing her naval hat on her head. It fit as well as ever. It was dark blue with a black band around it. Displayed on the front was an emblem wrought in gold and shaped in the likeness of a wolf's head. It's snarling form shone brightly in the sun.

She straightened out her uniform, dark blue like her hat, countless medals and ribbons displayed proudly upon her breast, and the Rakaelian flag stitched upon her right arm. Finally her aides finished tying up the craft and her escort accompanied her off the dock and toward the nearest Rasvidian officer. Waving him down, she demanded he take her to whomever was in charge.

Captain Piedro had silently watched the entire operation. Prison to Bazra, Bazra to Kosvit, Kosvit to Cosic. Surprisingly, the entire journey had occurred without an iota of an incident. He and his ten best soldiers had expected some sort of extreme complication, and there had been none. The IR hadn't even been problematic [yet].

Hopefully the transfer would operate just as easily.

[OOC: You can blame me for that one. I meant to add an addendum to my previous post to include events on your side, but I didn't get to it in time.]

General Jiri Iroh stepped off the jet that had flown him to Cosic from the capital city of Rin and stretched. It was a short flight, only a few hours, but he had spent so much time on planes during the course of the last month that his body was beginning to tell him it was time to take a rest. He would, he thought, soon enough, but for now, he had things to do. He glanced at the pilot of the jet and offered a nod of appreciation for the relatively smooth flight then got into the vehicle waiting for him and rode to Sarlin Courtyard where the exchange would take place.

It was a vast courtyard, spanning nearly 1,000 square acres. Concrete walkways paved their way through the lush green grass and trees sprouted up at intervals along the paths. In the center of the courtyard was the statue of Jon Kosvit, surrounding by a fountain of crystal clear water, a popular attraction for most of the citizens of Cosic. The village of Kosvit, named after the first leader of Isis Rakael, would be receiving a statue, as well, though not quite as grand as this one. After all, Kosvit was a native of Cosic and it was here that he made his stand against the last armies of Duhn.

Iroh's vehicle traveled to the south side of the courtyard, where Rakaelian troops were managing the prisoners, unloading them from transport helicopters and leading them into a nearby building; a public hotel that had been temporarily shut down. Nearby, supervising with this own troops, stood Captain Piedro. Iroh grunted and pulled his coat tighter about him. The air was blowing chill. The summers were always too short in Isis Rakael. He ran his hand over his balding head and frowned. He was no good at this sort of thing. That's what aides were for.

Finally, he walked over to where Captain Piedro stood, only vaguely conscious of the squad of soldiers that materialized silently behind him. They were dressed in black armor, with the embem of a wolf's head stitched onto their sleeves. His escort, he knew, or rather, his shadow.

"Good morning, Captain. I am General Iroh, sitting member of the Isis Rakael Security Council. I trust your trip was uneventful. We have a little while before the Rasvidians arrive. Come, let us walk and talk. You should count yourself honored, Captain. You are one of only a very small handful of foreign officials to ever step foot in Isis Rakael, let alone Cosic itself. Let us hope this is a sign of good things for the future."

Commissar Yelena Stasova found the voyage from Ulyanovsk to Cosic somewhat uncomfortable. She was not a part of the military; indeed, she oversaw the Foreign Commissariat, which rarely got directly involved in military issues. That was for the Defense Commissariat. No, she was used to sleeping in a soft bed at night, to four-ply toilet paper and hot water. She was also having a hard time coping with the tossing of the ship. Emergency dashes for the nearest washroom or the side of the ship had happened more then once since the journey began.

If she was too soft from the luxuries of life in administration, the troops assigned to escort her were not. In fact, they seemed to rarely do anything at all unless carrying out an order; even while eating meals together, not a single word was exchanged. She found it eerie. But she also knew that these soldiers had been conditioned to sacrifice their lives for her under any situation. Some critics back in Rasvidi decried the use of "brainwashing", but Yelena thought they would rapidly change their tune if they had faced some of the difficulties the nation had faced over the past 100 years. Very few people alive still remembered the revolutionary war, and the oppression people had faced before that at the hands of the intensely religious Commonwealth of Rasvidi.

When they finally docked on Cosic, Stasova was relieved, although she tried to keep it hidden. She was a diplomat, after all. She had to make sure that Rasvidi seemed strong and tenacious to those abroad. She oversaw the offloading and the movement of the prisoners through the city, and then proceeded into the courtyard where the Edo Edi Essum dignitary and General Iroh were chatting. She held out her hand as she approached, smiling broadly, her gaze fixed on the General. Behind her, the soldiers were lined neatly into two rows at her right and left sides, looking formidable in their black and stylish uniforms and the armbands displaying the Rasvidi iron cross against a dark blue background.

"Long live the revolution. You must be General Jiri Iroh. The people hope this incident has not been a significant burden to Isis Rakael." She did not even glance at Captain Piedro as she spoke. "And this must be... the captain from the 'Holy Empire' of Edo Edi Essum."

"A chance to show the world that we are indeed a changing nation, Commissar. Welcome to Cosic," said General Iroh, accepting her hand and shaking it firmly. He ignored the rather obvious distate in the Commissar's voice as she referred to Captain Piedro. "I was just telling the captain here that you two are among the only foreign officials to step foot in our nation. Security, politics, you understand. Borders must be protected."

He waved his hand and dismissed the rest of his own statement.

"Neither here nor there," he added finally. "I will have to apologize, Commisar, for the quick departure of Admiral Sokolic after your arrival. She had other duties to attend to that required her personal attention. Such is the nature of the IRSC these days. There is much to do."

He paused briefly, eyeing the Rasvidian and Edo Edi Essum soldiers that were standing nearby. He glanced back at his own. He stroked his gray beard thoughtfully. He couldn't decide if it were a sad affair or a comical one. There was no trust left in the world, it seemed.

"Well now, come, come, both of you." He ushered them all toward the Cosic Committee Hall, which sat conveniently next door to the hotel. "You are not here to listen to me prattle on. It will take some time for our transports to refuel and make the necessary preparations for the second half of this exchange. I'm sure you and the Captain have much to discuss."

[OOC- I apologize for my delayed reply. You all know how life is. The new RP will be made tomorrow or Sunday]

Captain Piedro has always been a quiet, pious man, almost monastic. And yet he and the lively General Iroh had immediately taken to each other, amiably chatting. Despite the dissimilarity of their nations' cultures, the two men shared a common military background and moral character.

Meanwhile, the Rasvidian soldiers merely reinforced their sub-human stereotype. EEE soldiers were always silent during any official proceedings. However, the sage pretense of the EEE military ended when official duties did; when off-duty, the soldiers were as colorful as the rest of the citizenry of Edo Edi Essum. The Rasvidian military lacked this humanity. Their soldiers were trained from infancy to treat every living second with absolutely seriousness. Life was a never-ending military operation for the godless soldiers.

Captain Piedro, General Iroh, and Commissar Yelena Stasova silently entered the hotel. Commissar Stasova seemed very glad to be in the hotel for whatever reason. She seemed like the kind of person who spent large sums of money at spas. The three officials sat at a round table to review the exchange. Their soldiers gathered around the table, silent and alert.


Captain Piedro began, "The Holy Empire of Edo Edi Essum has 1,000 confirmed obstinate atheists readied for transfer to Rasvidi. All of them have recently been assigned the death penalty. Please confirm the quantity and faith of the Rasvidian prisoners in Cosic today, Commissar Yelena Stasova."

[OOC: Also apologize for the delayed reply. And whoa, Piedro really doesn't like Rasvidi, does he? lol]

Stasova nodded stiffly, signifying her approval of the numbers. "We have also shipped 1,000 inmates, of Christian allegiance, sentenced mostly for imposing their hazardous ideas on innocent civilians. A handful have been sentenced to death on charges unrelated to their religion, such as murder and treason." She cleared her throat, obviously uncomfortable talking to a dignitary from a country she despised with every ounce of her being.

"I have also been asked to extend an offer to your nation, in the name of diplomacy. We are willing to ship prisoners directly to Edo Edi Essum in exchange for $50,000 per prisoner. We can negotiate the prices if you are interested."

Stasova ran her wrinkled fingers through her hair, which had long ago turned gray and was now beginning to show streaks of white. She was in her eighties, after all. Her grey-blue eyes turned briefly to Iroh, studying his expression.

"Excellent," responded Piedro, "We will exchange atheists for Christians at a 1:1 ratio and work out technicalities later. But first..." Piedro turned towards General Iroh, "Edo Edi Essum wants to establish an embassy in Isis Rakael. I know your nation has not historically allowed foreigners within its borders, but as this policy appears to be loosening, my government believes an embassy would be critical in promoting peace and mutually beneficial trade. Do you believe the embassy will be allowed, General?"

[OOC: Post not meant to offend. Please accept my apologies if I have done so.]

Iroh frowned.

It was not a frown directed at either party, but at the situation itself. He sat back in his chair, staring at the table, and stroking his beard as he so often did while in deep thought. He glanced up, noticing both officials were looking at him, then sat up and sipped his tea.

"Captain, " he began. "Your request will put before the Council and the President for consideration. I do not have the authority to grant your wish here and now. This is a changing nation, but change takes time, and there are many who oppose it. There is still much to do."

He paused and looked at the Commissar. He said nothing for several long moments.

"The IRSC has agreed not to intervene with this exchange or these discussions, but speaking off the record, I must voice my own concerns. Captain, Commissar, this situation only serves to bring to light the egregious breach of basic human rights in both of your nations. Human beings, those people in the hotel next door, have a right to freedom of religion. To believe what they will. I myself am a Christian, and I desire to see everyone in Isis Rakael believe as I do, but I realize and accept that this will never occur."

"I implore you both to beseech your governments to allow the freedom of religion. For your own sakes and for the sake of your people. How many resources do you waste hunting down those who defy you? How many lives do you sacrifice... or execute? And to what end? The only result you achieve is to anger the people. Continue to tread upon the basic rights of a human being, and you will awaken a foe that even the most powerful of governments cannot defeat. Both of your governments walk a very fine line, and I am personally saddened by it."

He leaned back in his chair once more and sipped his tea.

"Our transports are refueled and ready to carry your passengers to your respective nations."

"Commissar," he glanced at her knowingly. "Neither of us like boats. You will be flown back to Ulyanovsk."

"You certainly have a point, the whole notion of religious freedom," mused Piedro. He stared pensively in no particular direction for approximately five seconds. "But at least our nation treats the godless like human beings," Piedro concluded.

After a half an hour of technical negotiations, the meeting ended. As the groups began dispersing, Piedro gestured towards Stasova. She walked to him. Piedro quickly told her, "No funds have been set aside for buying Christians from Rasvidi yet, so I can not say whether or not we will ever purchase their freedoms. But I am certain that the price will need to be lowered drastically. My nation is not wealthy enough to afford 50K USD a piece. That is all."

Stasova seemed to stiffen up at Iroh's words, and she seemed close to losing her temper before she spoke. "We understand your concerns, General. But I must emphasize that you cannot understand what my people have gone through at the hands of religion. If our people were so opposed to our religious legislation, it would not be a difficult matter to change such legislation.

Before the revolution, before we became free people, we had been ruled for centuries by dictators and tyrants. In the centuries leading up to the revolution, we had been ruled by a particularly brutal series of dictators supported by an elite. Women and children were raped, out in the open, for their families and neighbours to witness. Young boys would be abducted and raised to be sex slaves to the nobility. Thousands of people would be killed for being part of an undesired religious or ethnic group. Men would be tortured and mutilated in the name of divine instruction. I myself was raped and forced to carry my child to term when I was 13 years old, for which my father was falsely accused of and subsequently executed for. The nobility would bury people alive and make bets on how long it would take for the muffled screams to stop. Executions took the place of due process. The nation achieved a level of unprecedented production because the people were forced to work non-stop in factories. Tens of thousands, maybe even millions of people have died at their work stations.

My people have endured these things for centuries, justified by religious divinity. These leaders were seen as deities, indistinguishable from both God and the universe. They were free to indulge in their sickest and most vile fantasies, and it was never questioned by the nobility. Who could question the actions and desires of a God? It was religion that allowed these things to happen. It was religion that tainted the minds of these men and women and turned them into something inhuman. It was religion that told us this was okay.

This legislation was not imposed on our citizens, it was proposed by them. Our nation is still in shock, and we will never again allow religion to grow to the heights that it once did. We cannot. And if countries elsewhere continue to do so, we as a nation cannot see how you will avoid a fate like ours. So don't lecture me about human rights. The human rights violations that Chairman Pralnikov, myself and many other surviving revolutionaries have endured in our lives could fill textbooks. Our people are free to live their lives as they please, with more freedoms then maybe even your own citizens have. All we ask of them in return, is to never again risk the atrocities that religion allowed our people to become."

Her eyes were on fire, glistening brilliantly like someone several decades younger. Her passion was unbridled, powerful, dominating. She was channeling the pain of an entire society, of past generations. Pain that would never be forgotten, not for a thousand years.