EMPEROR CLARIFIES CLYSPERIS STATEMENT In a rather bizarre twist following Emperor Benson's statement on postponing talks with Clysperis and their relationship with Achkaerin the twitter account of Evanthe of Rokkenjima issued what could be described as a veiled threat towards Paracambi. The Rokkenjiman diplomat posted that the Emperor should "Tread Carefully." Today the Emperor sat down and discussed the matter with Island News.
"The fact that when we speak out against slavery anyone things we need to tread carefully boggles my mind. Slavery is something that needs to be called out wherever it is found and in any form it is found. Whether it is slavery, indentured servitude or forced child labour all are a stain to Mundus. I'm proud to hail from a nation where our navy shed blood for hundreds of years trying to save slaves wherever we could. Our national identity is steeped in the campaigns we fought. At the centre of this issue is Clysperis. We welcome the announcement that they are ending all forms of slavery and we wish all those who have won their freedom well. Anyone who can prove they were a former slave or indentured servant and wishing for a complete new start will be welcome in Paracambi. I am however skeptical. To see a nation, especially one so closely tied throughout its history change so quickly is something I'm sceptical of.
In November 2019 Tamora, a nation in which slavery has existed for 1000 years or more and one insistent slavery will still exist there in 1000 more years, sent around 5,000 soldiers to Clysperis. Tamora are a nation that also invested $1billion in Setri and a further $1billion in infastructure projects. A sum of $2billion granted from slavers has helped create the economic marvel that Clysperis hopes to become. The consturction also began at a time when the Clysperis government still owned indentured servants, the last of those under the Pharoahs own control were released as recently as August 22nd 2021. The world must therefore ask questions before it invests, how much slave blood has been shed to allow this economic hub to be created? If since giving the orders for it to be built this change of heart from the Pharoah is genuine more must be done by her government than simply giving them freedom. Anyone freed from slavery is effectively born again and enters this world with nothing, no money, no property and must be given these. If Clysperis has truly seen a $10billion trade surplus and the error of its former ways the vast surplus must be used to pay reparations and equip those former slaves for the future. Now if this is happening I applaud the steps but to date I have only seen pride in their recovery not their reformation.
The matter for us gets even more complex. With Clysperis effectively having a governmental system where Akasha is currently the final word on all matters of importance, whether they be domestic or foreign in nature, then all it takes is for her to once more have a change of heart and the institutions of slavery can return to Clysperis. We have seen nothing that assures that for example her descendants wouldn't return slavery to the people of Clysperis with a single word. Documents such as the MCUR, nations having a constitution with checks and balances on power or pure democracy are the only ways to ensure slavery can never return. Even then my trust in treaties such as the MCUR are not strong as they are largely virtue signalling attempts at taking away a nations sovereignty.
With these facts on the table it is clear why I wish to wait and see what the future holds for Clysperis. If they continue on this path of reform I would have in the future great delight in saying to the Pharoah I was wrong and thanking her for giving these people freedom. But now is not the time to begin slapping her on the back.
Meanwhile I raised concerns about the actions of Achkaerin. To those outside private meeting rooms and conference calls there should be concern about decisions made. First we have the fact that we now have the visible metric of Achkaerin forces sharing common cause with slavers. At the time of Achkaerin dispatching support the Tamorans had less than a month earlier announced their financial package for Clysperis. Add to that the fact that neither Clysperis or Tamora had signed the Uppsala Convention and we could have been seeing one of the nations who has tried so much to hold that Convention as a pinnacle of international law standing alongside war criminals. There could also have been a troubling precident. Until this year the Pharoah still held the right to take foreign POW's as slaves, now if the word of the Pharoah is law she could easily have given this up during the conflict but she didn't. When New Derusima offered help to the rebels we could have seen their troops or airmen taken prisoner and end up as slaves. I would ask what safeguards were in place to ensure this would not have happened as Akasha had not used her supreme authority to outline the practice nor had she signed the Uppsala convention preventing the practice. Since the war has ended it is my understanding Achkaerin have given significant aid to Clysperis. No doubt this has helped build Setri, helped repair the damage of the war and contributed to an impressive trade surplus. These facts give nations the right to ask questions such as I am about to. If Tamora have billions invested in Setri it would be right to think businesses that in their homeland support and own slaves have invested in Setri, what is Achakerin doing to see those businesses expelled from Setri? What steps did Achkaerin take to ensure foreign POW's would not end up slaves? What assurances of an end of slavery did they have prior to committing soldiers to fight for a nation that permitted slavery? These are legitimate questions that now the dust has settled Emperor Peter may choose to answer. I do not doubt his good intentions but from someone sat in my position these facts I have outlined muddy waters. Now if Evanthe has problems with someone stating facts and asking questions of a nation that has a prominent role in the international community then it is perhaps for the best Adrianna is assuming the reigns of Rokkenjima. The young Empress has spoken on a number of moral issues such as human genetic manipulation and I like her passion on these matters, she seems to have a strong moral compass and I would hope that if she was in my situation she would be asking the hard questions. If your response to hard questions is threats via social media then perhaps the answers are not ones to be proud of."
The Emperor had returned to Aluhampton from visiting Castries and has instructed the Paracambian Embassy in Clysperis to ensure any former slaves or indentured slaves wishing to relocate to Paracambi are given every aid.
New Derusmian intervention - what assurance was given that any POW's wouldn't be used as slaves?