Utman Autonomy and Refugee Settlement Conference

[Lakhzovia]

Utman Autonomy and Refugee Settlement Conference


Proposed territorial boundaries of the Utman Autonomous Region

The Lakhzov Republic wishes to announce that we are currently finalising plans for the provision of Utman Autonomy within a part of the Transmecuria Province of north western Lakhzovia.

We consider this provision of an autonomous territory within our country in which Utman can enjoy self-governance in civic and legal matters to be a good faith concession on the part of the Lakhzov people and the end to all present and future claims by the Utman upon our nation.

As such we recognise the importance of ensuring that all present and pressing concerns be included in the final agreement. Among the most important of these is the ongoing refugee crisis, it is clear that any final status agreement will require the resolution of the status of Utman refugees.

As such we are inviting nations with significant populations of Utman refugees to participate in this conference in order to facilitate the smooth repatriation of Utman to the newly designated Utman Autonomous Area and to help to implement the framework for transition to control of the Utman Autonomous Authority.

Lakhzovia looks forward to hosting delegates in the city of Khalin.

[Hassfurt]

While the Diarchy of Hassfurt saw little numbers of refugees during the crisis we think it is important that we work with the neighbours to ensure the region is successfully stable. As such if permitted we would like to attend this conference and shall send Consul Ziska Feld and with her Prince Jonas in order to continue his political experience gathering. We hope this is permitted and possibly useful.

[DaveIronside]

As the nation which undertook the largest evacuation of refugees we naturally wish to attend this conference. We have been calling for several months for measures to be put in place to allow the numerous refugees to return home and until now have seen little action. We shall be sending a three person delegation to this conference. We shall be sending Foreign Minister Edward Tamana, my sister Princess Freya and former head of the CTO Refugee Council Melissa Lusk. It is our hope these talks can see refugees return home and the situation become more stable in the long term. We look forward to seeing the productive outcome of these talks.

May The Gods Watch over You and Your Naion Know Peace

King David III of East Moreland.

[Lakhzovia]

The delegates had arrived and slowly filtered into the conference room in which the opening session was to be held. The new Foreign Minister Arad Irdan waited for the late comers to settle down before beginning his opening speech:

"On behalf of the government of the Lakhzov Republic I welcome you to this Conference. As everyone in this room is fully aware Lakhzovia is a country disfigured by a decades long conflict, a conflict that recently boiled over into a devastating civil war. While the government was finally able to restore order to our troubled land it was at a great cost in both lives and livelihoods, we witnessed appalling atrocities and the mass displacement of hundreds of thousands of citizens, both Lakhzov and Utman.

It has become clear to our government that winning the battles was just the first step in bringing to an end the long conflict between the Lakhzov and Utman ethnic groups. For true peace and the development of brotherly relations between our peoples real, material actions need to be taken that address the historical sense of grievance felt by both groups. We have in the West of the country a situation of two distinct peoples both claiming territory to be the heart of their own national home. It has become abundantly clear that neither people can be asked to make the sacrifice of relinquishing such a claim, rather what must be found is a solution that recognises the legitimate desires of both.

As such it is the opinion of our government that this is best achieved through the creation of an Utman Autonomous Region (UAR) in the western part of Transmecuria Province. The boundaries proposed for this area are detailed in the circulated map and were drawn to provide a contiguous area containing the majority of districts in which the Utman are the majority ethnic group. It is envisioned that within this region the Utman will be free to limited autonomous governance under which they will be able to elect their own representative government with the powers to raise taxes, set a budget, carry out planning, provide policing and legislate according to their own custom except for where this would conflict with the Lakhzov Constitution.

In addition to this we propose to allow the repatriation of Utman refugees to the UAR in order to ensure reunification of families and brethren in their own homeland, such a repatriation I hasten to add would not be taken as a renunciation of claims on land holdings elsewhere in Lakhzovia, rather this is seen as a way to bring to a speedy end the unacceptable situation of Utman refugees languishing in foreign countries.

I now open the session to questions from the floor."

[DaveIronside]

The Morelanders had sent the new Foreign Minister, Duchess Orlaith Kade alongside Melissa Lusk and Lt-Col Piers Ramsey of the Royal Marines. Between the three of them the King believed they had all the expertise needed to handle the situation. As the meeting came to order Orlaith took out several sheets of paper and handed out copies to those in attendance. "The Kingdom of East Moreland is the largest concentration of refugees from Lakhzovia. As such we have a rather extensive list of questions to get the ball rolling. We believed it best to write them down."

1. What measures have been put in place to ensure that this new arrangement with the UAR is supported by the general public of that region?

2. What measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of the non-Utman population that currently live in the UAR?

3. In East Moreland the refugees are mainly of Utman origin however we do have non-Utman. What steps will be taken to identify where people should be sent if they return home?

4. Some of the refugees have been away from Lakhzovia for an extremely long period. What will be done to ensure those refugees returning home are not left homeless? What measures will be taken for those who have suffered material loses while away?

5. Are Lakhzovia willing to grant East Moreland access to identity databases to ascertain the true identities of those currently in East Moreland.

"For now we have no more questions." 

[Lakhzovia]

"Pertinent questions which I will do my best to answer briefly. First our plan envisions working with the largest democratic representative party of the Utman population, the Shanata Party which has historically called for, an continues to stand on a platform that is explicit in its desire for the extension of autonomy for the Utman in the region. The districts selected in drafting the provisional map are those which elected Shanata Party candidates in the last election. On this basis we feel confident that the majority of the population in these areas are supportive of such an arrangement.

Now it must be known that the safety of the Lakhzov population in the area, again the borders were chosen to minimise the impact on established communities, despite this there will remain ethnic Lakhzov who will find their communities within the UAR. For these communities we are proposing that they be entitled to continue to participate in Lakhzov National Elections and be provided with representation in the National Assembly in accordance with the provisions for the Scheduled Tribes, further a Ministry position will be created to liaise with the UAR on issues affecting Lakhzov communities in that territory. While we envision the UAR having responsibility for policing it is our intention for the immediate future to retain a military presence with a dual mission: First to provide security and reassurance to the local Lakhzov communities, and second to provide stability to the new UAR Authority and prevent any resurgence of extremists during the transitional period, this force will not otherwise interfere in Utman communal life. The long term aim would be to withdraw this force as tensions between the communities die down.

In regards to the refugees Lakhzovia are happy to provide East Moreland with access to records to aid in identifying individuals as a part of the repatriation scheme. For those who are not ethnic Utman we shall repatriate them to Khalin where accommodations will be made for them. Those who we can establish as being resident in a particular locale will be given the opportunity to return to their original homes. Those for who this is not possible, or who do not wish to return will be resettled elsewhere in the country. In terms of material losses it is our aim to provide aid and development packages for returnees aimed at given them the material means to re-establish themselves in the country.

I hope you find these principles an acceptable basis on which to progress discussions?"

[DaveIronside]

Melissa scribbled down on her notepad as the Lakhzovian gave details. "Foreign Minister" she began to speak, "As I know I was on the ground in Lakhzovia as part of the East Moreland Air Force's Voulenteer Reserve. I saw first hand the situation and I having more than a passing acquittance with refugee issues I have a few things I'd like to clarify. Many of those that we lifted out of the North West had no documentation of any kind. How are you to confirm who is who. If I might explain. We have for these people an identity that they have given us, we have to take on trust that they are being truthful but we do not 100% sure know that. It is now amazing that we can cross reference who we have with their records, but for that we need accurate birthdays, names etc. Are there any systems in place we can use to confirm the identities of those without documents to return home and claim their identities back so to speak. This will be a vital issue when you elections take place. I also have to ask what would happen in future if an area outside the UAR elects a representative from the Shanata Party? Would this area be added to the UAR or are these areas now a fixed border. This may be important when it comes to resettlement. As for the aid and resettlement packages I would be interested to see moving forward if there is any support that my agency could offer, for example we have done a lot to support education in camps having a process that helps children reintregrate into education would seem an important step."

Orlaith took up the East Moreland input. "I suppose one issue we have is the mechanism for the process. I am assuming that there is some airfield in the UAR? If not is the UAR roughly the same region from where we lifted the refugees? If so I recall that using the Marston Matting system we built a makeshift runway. This could maybe be given a once over and re-used. What I propose is that if air access is available and granted then East Moreland would move those refugees who have documents and willing to return first. This will give us time to then start processing those who have no documents. We have two choices there. First is that Lakhzovia essentially establish an embassy of sorts at Hunter's Vale. From there they can themselves issue new travel documents like passports. Failing that would you be willing to accept Uppsala Passports issued by East Moreland stating these were Lakhzovian citizens?"

"I have a final question" Lusk cut in before the Foreign Minister responded. "What happens to the Lakhzovians we can't put an identity on and/or those that refuse to return home feeling that the situation is unsafe?" 

[Lakhzovia]

"We expect regular flights to be able to make use of Kinere Airport for the purpose of repatriation, this has the advantage of being in geographical proximity of the proposed territory. In terms of identities we do have census records which may be of use in corroborating identities, we also are able to provide access to the records of the now defunct Transit Permit Bureau which will further add to the ability to confirm a persons claims to having lived in a particular location. Other than that though there is an issue of people falling through the gaps and in those cases where it proves difficult to establish identity with confidence we would be willing to receive returnees on their word and subject them to screening in Lakhzovia.

As to the question about the Shanata Party I hasten to point out that the designation of the autonomous territory was on the basis of population and contiguity, a high turn out for Shanata was only one factor aiding us in this assessment. As it is there will remain districts outside of the UAR with an Utman majority where the Shanata Party has been elected, following the establishment of the UAR we expect to allow Shanata to continue to represent these constituencies in the Senate. As such we would consider the UAR boundary to be fixed as a final settlement of the conflict.

In terms of practicalities Lakhzovia would be grateful for any assistance other countries would be able to provide in facilitating this transfer, we would of course be happy to accept Uppsala Passports for repatriation purposes, though a Lakhzov Consulate in Hunters Vale for the prescreening of complex cases may also be advisable.

As for those unwilling to return that is very much something which we leave in the hands of the host country. Lakhzovia is not in the business of kidnap and we will not forcibly repatriate unwilling citizens from a foreign country. We have no objection to the host country offering permanent residency to such individuals, or if the country decides to deport them then we will observe our international obligation to accept the deportees at the border."

[Achkaerin]

With it being election season in Achkaerin the responsibility for attending this conference had been bounced around with it eventually falling to the Emperor's foreign affair's advisor and one time prominent Rokkenjiman politician Nettie Taylor and the newly appointed Attorney General Robert Westbrooke

"If I may just turn the attention to the actual mechanics of this autonomous region for a moment and enquire as to the powers of the government of the UAR." Nettie said reading through her notes as she spoke "My understanding of the balance of power here is that the arrangement would be that the UAR has its own government but in certain areas defers to the Lakhzovian government in much the same way that Gowu defers to Achkaerin at a certain point. Could you explain what those limitations are in a little more detail." she gave way as Robert tapped her arm indicating he wanted to say something.

"Just developing the point on the limitations." Robert said clearing his throat "And speaking as a legal professional I'd like to query what the position of the UAR will be in relation to international treaties, will they be allowed to sign them independently of Lakhzovia? The reason being that we need to know the jurisdiction of each treaty so it can be applied and enforced correctly, so it would be helpful for us to know if we're dealing with a Rokkenjima and Rishiri situation or a Tytor and Floodwater one."

[Lakhzovia]

"Very good questions and exactly the ones we are seeking to formalise answers to at this conference." Arad flipped to a new slide on the projector while paper copies were passed around the room.

"This is the outline of our intended balance of powers in relation to the proposed UAR:

The UAR Authority will have the power to:

I. Control and collect local taxation.

II. Set its own budget.

III. Run schools, hospitals, waste collection, public transport and other public services.

IV. Set an Utman school curriculum with oversight from the Education Ministry.

V. Control local development planning, agricultural, and industrial policy. This includes operating abattoirs and meat distribution.

VI. Control local civil security such as police and fire services.

VII. Set local civil law based upon Utman cultural and religious norms and enforce this through Magistrate Courts.[/li][/list]

In the following areas the UAR will not be authorised to act and will be required to defer to the Lakhzov National Government:

I. The UAR may not set its own foreign policy, nor may it maintain or operate a Foreign Ministry, Department or any other office. It may not receive foreign delegations without coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Nor may it enter into international treaties or agreements. Imports may be sourced only from countries with which the Lakhzov Republic has open diplomatic relations.

II. The UAR may not establish or raise any military or paramilitary organisation for the purposes of territorial defence. Territorial defence shall reside solely with the Lakhzov Defence Forces.

III. The UAR may maintain a customs service and man customs checkpoints as appropriate. However the external border and its crossings will remain under the control of the Lakhzov Border Police and other related agencies.

IV. The UAR cannot implement laws which are in violation of the Constitution of the Lakhzov Republic, or which violate or abrogate any national criminal law except where exceptions are explicitly granted and listed (For example the criminal offences associated with the meat trade shall not be held in effect in the UAR.

V. The UAR is not entitled to form, or attempt to form political unions with the Ceouz Utman Autonomous Region, or attempt to encourage other Utman majority areas to seek autonomy or unification with the UAR as an exclave.

This is of course a brief outline and each of the points listed will have a greater level of detail setting out the exact protocols, but as an overview I believe this should be sufficient to give an understanding of the character of the UAR that we are proposing."

[Achkaerin]

"I see." Robert said "I think that satisfies our questions."

OOC - As this has sat for a while could I suggest that something be drawn up or otherwise implemented?

[Lakhzovia]

"Very good. If all participants here are satisfied then I am happy to present to you the final status agreement. Providing there are no disputes with the wording or the provisions then we will sign this agreement this week and begin immediate preparations for the transfer of powers and establishing appropriate mechanisms for the repatriation of refugees."

Declaration of Principles on the Formation of
The Utman Autonomous Region

ARTICLE I
AIM OF THE AGREEMENT

The aim of this agreement is to bring about the cessation of historical hostilities between the Utman and Lakhzov peoples in order that both may continue to live within the territory of the Lakhzov Republic according to their respective customs, religion, and laws. This agreement will be considered a final resolution of the Utman-Lakhzov Conflict and the closure of all further claims and ambitions.

ARTICLE II
FRAMEWORK FOR THE EXTENSION OF AUTONOMY

The agreed framework for the extension of autonomy to the Utman community in the designated Utman Autonomous Region (UAR) is set forth in this Declaration of Principles.

ARTICLE III
ELECTIONS

1. In order that the Utman people in the UAR may govern themselves according to democratic principles, direct, free and general political elections will be held for the Utman Authority under agreed supervision and international observation, while the Utman police will ensure public order.

2. As a transitional provision the first sitting of the Utman Authority shall comprise of those Utman Shanata Party representatives of the territories that comprise the UAR currently elected to sit in the Lakhzov National Assembly.

3. Subsequent elections will be held in concurrence with the Lakhzov General Elections.

4. The internal division of electoral districts within the UAR will be the responsibility of the Utman Authority Electoral Commission.

ARTICLE IV
JURISDICTION

1. Jurisdiction of the Utman Authority will extend over the area assigned as the Utman Autonomous Region defined as:

The western most area of the Transmecuria Province, from the North-Western International Border extending to the Shar Valley of the Har HaShidrin Mountain Range; The Western International Border to the Chluz River, and from the South-Western International Border to the estuary of the Chluz River into lake Kinoros.

2. No Jurisdiction is granted over the Ceouz Utman Autonomous Region.

3. The UAR is not entitled to form, or attempt to form political unions with the Ceouz Utman Autonomous Region, or attempt to encourage other Utman majority areas to seek autonomy or unification with the UAR as an exclave.

ARTICLE V
TRANSFER OF POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Upon the entry into force of this Declaration of Principles a transfer of authority from the Lakhzov Civil Administration to the authorised Utman for this task, as detailed herein, will commence.

2. Immediately after the entry into force of this Declaration of Principles authority will be transferred to the Utman Authority in the following spheres: education and culture, health, social welfare, direct taxation, local development planning, and tourism. The Utman side will commence in building the Utman police force, as agreed upon.

ARTICLE VI
PUBLIC ORDER, SECURITY, AND BORDER CONTROLS

1. In order to guarantee public order and internal security for the Utman of the UAR, the Utman Authority will establish a strong police force, while Lakhzovia will continue to carry the responsibility for defending against external threats, as well as the responsibility for overall security of ethnic Lakhzov for the purpose of safeguarding their internal security and public order.

2. The UAR may not establish or raise any military or paramilitary organisation for the purposes of territorial defence. Territorial defence shall reside solely with the Lakhzov Defence Forces.

3. The UAR may maintain a customs service and man customs checkpoints as appropriate. However, the external border and its crossings will remain under the control of the Lakhzov Border Police and other related agencies

ARTICLE VII
LAW AND LEGISLATION

1. The Utman Authority will be empowered to legislate, in accordance with the scope of this agreement, within all authorities transferred to it.

2. The Utman Authority is not empowered to draft, pass, or implement legislation which is in violation of the Constitution of the Lakhzov Republic, or which violate or abrogate any national criminal law except where exceptions are explicitly granted.

3. The Utman Authority will establish Magistrates Courts to enforce local civil law.

4. Utman Civil laws will not apply to members of the Lakhzov Ethnic group that remain resident in the Utman Autonomous Region, except for in cases of public decency where the provisions do not impede on Lakhzov cultural or religious expression.

5. All Criminal Cases will be referred to the nearest Lakhzov Magistrate Court.

ARTICLE VIII
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, TRADE, AND DIPLOMACY

1. The Utman Authority is not empowered to set a Foreign Policy separate from that of the Lakhzov Republic, nor is it permitted to maintain or operate a Foreign Ministry, Department or any other such office.

2. The Utman Authority may not receive foreign delegations except in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nor is it permitted to send Utman delegations to foreign countries, territories or organisations, nor is it permitted to make petitions or presentations to such.

3. The Utman Authority is not empowered to enter into international treaties or agreements of any kind.

4. International Trade will only be permitted with nations that the Lakhzov Republic have full relations and trade agreements with.

ARTICLE IX
RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES

1. Disputes arising out of the application or interpretation of this Declaration of Principles. or any subsequent agreements shall be resolved by negotiations through the Joint Liaison Committee to be established with an equal membership of Lakhzov and Utman participants.

2. Disputes which cannot be settled by negotiations may be resolved by a mechanism of conciliation to be agreed upon by the parties.

ARTICLE X
UTMAN-LAKHZOV COOPERATION CONCERNING REGIONAL PROGRAMS

Both parties view the multilateral working groups as an appropriate instrument for promoting regional development programmes that impact both territories or would otherwise be impossible without cooperation.

ARTICLE XI
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, PROTECTION AND RIGHT OF ACCESS TO RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL SITES, AND THE STATUS OF KHALIN

1. The freedom of worship for Lakhzov Emetists within the UAR will be respected and actively protected by the Utman Authority.

2. The Utman Authority will undertake to protect and preserve the physical integrity, and the right of access to Lakhzov cultural and religious sites within the UAR.

3. The city of Khalin, its communities, shrines, and landmarks will remain fully under the administration of the Lakhzov Government subject to the appropriate administrative devolution as laid down by the Constitution and other relevant laws.

4. The Lakhzov Government will facilitate access for the Utman to the city to allow for Kerenist worship in accordance with the existing status quo.

ARTICLE XII
STATUS AND REPATRIATION OF UTMAN REFUGEES

1. Those Utman who have been displaced overseas by the Utman-Lakhzov Conflict shall be repatriated to the UAR.

2. Those Utman who have been internally displaced due to the Conflict have the right to voluntarily move to the UAR or remain in situ, they may not be forced or coerced by the either the Lakhzov or Utman Authorities into relocation to the UAR.

3. Voluntary relocation to the UAR will not be considered grounds for forfeiture of other rights, and those relocating may continue to pursue property claims through the Court of Disputations. Those who have their claims confirmed by the Court of Disputations are entitled to relocate to their former homes or receive appropriate compensation for their land.


MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

1. This Declaration of Principles will enter into force one month after its signing.

[DaveIronside]

Foreign Minister Orlaith Kade nodded in approval of the document. "When this is enacted East Moreland will begin actively providing flights back to Lakhzovia for those refugees returning home. For the next six months the East Moreland government will ensure their is enough capacity for those in East Moreland to reach Lakhzovia, that is assuming your government approve the extra flights that will need to be scheduled. As we wish to allow the refugees to bring back any personal belongings they have or have acquired in East Moreland we would appreciate with each civilian airliner we send a military cargo plane be permitted to land. This should allow a process to happen where individuals have sufficient capacity to bring back anything they have. For example while in East Moreland we've endeavoured to give children an education, as such some children will have a number of books they may wish to bring back. Some adults have been rather active in hobbies and craft groups and I've seen some sculpting rather impressive works they may wish to bring back with them, you know the things they make to perhaps have their home away from home feel a little bit more like its their home." Orlaith had visited the facility a number of times and it was rather impressive how homely some refugees had made things, using fabrics to create wallpapers to the bare concrete walls and one section of Hunter's Vale had even turned into a kind of art gallery with the contents made by those living there. "Following on from that we'd like to recruit a team of six former refugees who have returned home. They'd be paid by the East Moreland embassy and their role alongside our nations ambassador would be to identify projects that would help the returning refugees resettle, be that by giving businesses start up loans, funding training for individuals to learn important skills this new autonomous region may need. Initially we'd put $30million into this fund. We shall also put aside a further $15million to help any individual who is a refugee access University education. We would finally establish a fund of $10million to provide legal advice to anyone seeking to utilise the Court of Disputations. Naturally these funds of money would require co-operation from the Lakhzovian government in terms of being established. Can we rely on that co-operation being given?"

[Lakhzovia]

"I can see no objections to any of your proposals arising and would be happy to have our respective Ministries work together to ensure the smooth implementation of such plans. I am sure President Kadassa will be particularly pleased at the generosity of East Moreland in providing such significant development funding, especially given the amount your country has already done for these people; as a gesture of goodwill and a sincere attempt to provide stability to the country I am certain that the President will wish to express the thanks of the Lakhzov Republic through some form of reciprocal offering. If I may express my personal opinion, I have found you Morelanders a fair and decent people to work with and would be very keen to see the development of stronger ties of friendship and cooperation between our two nations in the future, it is my hope that the historic resolution we have come to here can lay the foundations for this."