Shan Republic

From Gothpoodle

• Population: 4.8 million
• Aspects: Very Free, Poor, Third Wave

The northern Burmese state of Shan was long inhabited by a distinct ethnic group, which was often uncomfortable under central rule. During the Chinese invasion in the Pacific War, an independent Shan Republic was created with Chinese support. The new nation receives diplomatic recognition only from China and its allies. With TSA support, the central Burmese government is currently fighting an open war along the Shan border in order to bring the breakaway state back in line. The capital of Tuanggyi has recently been devastated by sorties of long-range cybershell drones from Burma.

Early in the century, Shan state was infamous as one of the world’s most productive sources of opium poppy. The opium trade was largely suppressed by 2030, but by the mid-2060s it has reappeared. Indeed, as genetic technologies were applied to the opium poppy, it became the source of a wide variety of new and very powerful narcotics. Production of these drugs has risen sharply since the Pacific War, with much of the finished product ending up in India and the TSA nations. Although the Chinese government denies any involvement, there are rumors that the new drugs are part of a campaign of subversion directed at the nanosocialist bloc and its allies.