League of Free Peoples

The **League of Free Peoples** is a supranational economic union and military alliance of 19 member states across Southeast Asia, consisting of the Nesarian Empire and all of its former Asian territories, except for Thailand and those islands which remain under the rule of the Americans or British. Though often compared to the European Union, the League is far less centralised than the EU, and is not an institution in its own right.

In the League's own words, it serves to eliminate economic barriers between members, to promote mutual growth, and to defend its members from foreign influence or aggression. The origins of the League can be traced to free trade agreements signed between the Nesarian Empire and the newly independent Southeast Asian states that were established in the wake of European decolonisation. The League was first proposed by Emperor Adrion in 1968, and was formally established in 1970. The last of the states to join, Lan Xang, did so in 1979. The only ex-Imperial state which did not join the League was Thailand, a country which had often been rebellious when under Imperial rule and which treasured the independence it had gained back in 1919 with the Treaty of Haguun.

Members of the League are not only united through military alliance, but also through a common customs union. Members are also required to adhere to the Trading Codes, a set of international laws dictating trading standards and labour rights across the League. The League requires the incumbent leaders of its member states to come together in the League Diet twice a year - once in summer and once in winter - to discuss any matters that warrant international co-operation between League members. The location of the League Diet rotates around the member states in the order in which they joined the League.

Most political analysts agree that the League has significantly contributed to economic growth in its member states through free trade and the co-ordination of economic development. It has also served to stabilise a region that experienced substantial strife in the wake of European decolonisation, opening up international dialogue and settling border disputes. Many analysts argue that the clearest evidence of the League's success is when one compares economic activity and growth in member states to neighbouring Thailand. Though Thailand is not considered a poor country, its development remains behind the pace of its League neighbours, and its standard of living is generally lower. Thai workers also enjoy fewer rights and protections than workers in League countries, since the Trading Codes are not enforced there.

## Criticism

Critics of the League often describe it as the "Greater Nesarian Empire". It is no secret that the Nesarian Empire acts as the League's de facto ruler, even though all League members are equal in principle. League members generally see the Nesarian Empire as the supreme judge of the League, coming to it for arbitration and seeing it as the highest level of appeal. Whichever international laws the Empire suggests are usually accepted by the other members with little complaint, and League members are content to follow the Empire in foreign policy.

The Empire's position is not significantly dissimilar from its position back when the League members were actually part of the Empire, and many political analysts have commented that the only aspect of Imperial rule that is missing is the financial tribute. Although the League is nominally a free association of independent sovereign states, joining the League is widely seen as submission to Imperial rule.

Although many analysts from outside the League see the organisation as an extension of Imperial power, most supporters of the League believe that the close ties the members have with the Empire actually strengthens their sovereignty and independence. Rather than having each country of Southeast Asia interact with the Empire individually - a dynamic which would always have the Empire be the far stronger party - the League provides a platform for the region to bargain with the Empire as a collective whole, putting the two sides on equal footing.

Contrary to the League's name, most member states score low on the Democracy Index, and typically score low on other measures of political freedom. Most member states are monarchies, and model their system of governance after the Nesarian Empire; democracy is usually limited to local administration, with the state as a whole being governed by a monarch and his appointed ministers. The Sultanate of Brunei and Kingdom of Temuria are both notable for having no elected positions whatsoever, functioning as absolute monarchies. Only Sulawesi and the small island states of Deluana, Vanuatu, Fiji and Nagela have completely elected governments.

The image on the right colours League member states according to their style of government. The colour key is as follows:

* Elloris Purple - Imperial-style, local governors elected but the higher levels of state consist of the monarch and his appointed ministers, often federal or semi-federal in nature
* Red - British-style, ruled by a bicameral governing body with an elected lower house and an appointed upper house, with the monarch mainly serving as the highest level of appeal and the supreme judge rather than wielding executive power
* Blue - Absolute monarchy
* Cyan - Democratic republic

## Common Visa Zone

Most members of the League are also within the Common Visa Zone (CVZ), but being part of this agreement is not a requirement of League membership. Unlike the Schengen Area of Europe, the CVZ does not abolish passport controls between member states, but does allow for citizens from CVZ members to cross the borders of other CVZ members and stay for periods of up to 60 days within a 120-day period without need for a visa. The CVZ also unifies visa standards for visitors from the outside world for all its members.

All members of the League except Madia, Champa, Kampuchea, Dai Viet and Lan Xang are members of the CVZ. Madia is not part of any visa treaty or free movement treaty, whereas Champa, Kampuchea, Dai Viet and Lan Xang are part of the Mainland Southeast Asia Free Movement Zone (MSA-FMZ), an area which allows for complete freedom of movement and unifies border policy towards the outside world, working similarly to Europe's Schengen Area.