Indochinese Democratic Republic

The Indochinese Democratic Republic (Vietnamese: Cộng hòa Dân chủ Đông Dương), commonly referred to as Indochina, is a federal state in Southeast Asia comprising territory of former Laos, Vietnam and part of Cambodia. The Indochinese DR is a one-party state formed for the major part out of Vietnamese political structures and thus considered the latter his successor state. Even though several attempts at reform have been taken since the collapse of the first Soviet Union, the economic results of Indochina remain poor. The regime can only maintain itself by relying on systematic oppression and the usage of anti-imperialist propaganda. The Democratic Republic has a difficult relation with its southern neighbor, the Grand Yarphese Republic, though this only manifests itself in a lack of mutual contact.

Pre-colonial history of Indochina
The area now known as Indochina has been inhabited since Paleolithic times, and some archaeological sites purportedly date back several thousand years. Archaeologists link the beginnings of civilization in the area to the late Neolithic, Early Bronze Age, Phung Nguyen culture, which was centered in Vĩnh Phúc Province of contemporary Indochina from about 2000 to 1400 BCE. The tree different regions of the contemporary Indochinese Democratic Republic have been ruled in various compositions by subsequent dynastic kingdoms. Notable examples are the legendary Hồng Bàng Dynasty, by many considered the first Vietnamese state, and the Kingdom of Lan Xang which forms the basis of the modern day region of Laos. For more information you could check the histories of Indochina's predecessor states Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Colonial rule and the Indochina Wars
Colonial presence of France in the Indochinese region dates back to as early as 1858, when the first French troops arrived. The colonization process took about a quarter century and was completed in 1883 when the native ruling dynasty of Vietnam submitted. Resistance against the French occupation was never rooted out completely but never took off before the Second World War. When the Japanese assumed control of Indochina under the excuse of 'liberation' Hồ Chí Minh established the Việt Minh resistance movement which got support of the United States.

When the war was over, the Việt Minh opposed reoccupation by the French and demanded independence for the nations within the Indochinese colony. This sparked of the First Indochina War between France and the colonial resistance. Under the international climate of Cold War a second conflict was created. Communist North Vietnam and the South Vietnamese liberation movement Việt cộng sought to unify Vietnam and fought against the US-supported regime of Ngô Đình Diệm which was perceived as en agent of imperialism. Similar conflicts brew in Laos and Cambodia, though the Cambodian Red Khmer Movement fought against the Vietnamese communist forces too. The three nations of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia won the war(s) and established independence under authoritarian and nationalist regimes albeit communist in name.

The Indochinese Democratic Republic
With the dissolving of the Soviet Union in 1991, countries like Cuba and Vietnam suffered greatly from the changing international trade environment. The economic integration into the Soviet bloc made those countries independent of the COMECON-market which disappeared with its creator. The Vietnamese regime decided to follow the example of the Chinese People's Republic and under pressure of the IMF and the World Bank began economic and political reform. A moderate take-off was perceived but soon political instability come about. A group of radicals established the Vietnamese Liberation Army and their goal was to 'liberate' the land along the Gulf of Thailand and take it over. This resulted in the creation of the Grand Yarphese Republic in late 1994.

The Vietnamese establishment reacted divided and was ruled by chaos. Several coups were attempted by military and political leaders of diverse backgrounds. Order was restored by January 1995 when Nguyễn Đỗ is appointed president by the Vietnamese Communist Party. Đỗ rolled back the reforms and had parts of the armed forces that 'pose a treat to national harmony' eliminated. Only in southernmost Vietnam the government had lost control. Rapprochement was found to Laos, which feared the growing turmoil in the region. The CP was reformed into the Unity Party of Indochina (UPI) as the Indochinese Democratic Republic was created. This federal union came about on 2 January 1995 and is in essence an answer of its predecessor states to the instability and uncertainty they faced.

In the decade that followed the Indochinese DR assumed an international policy based on isolationism and political neutrality. A course of reforms towards market socialism was pursued even though the economic results attained remain poor. In 2011 the southern Vietnamese territory was overrun by Yarphese forces. In the mean time Indochina tried to include Cambodia into its union and restore the boundaries of colonial Indochina. The Yarphese Republic however occupied most of Cambodia and unilaterally forced an agreement onto Indochina: it lost the southern rebellious region and most of Cambodia to Yarphei. The remaining part of Cambodia was incorporated into the Indochinese DR.

Politics
The Indochinese Democratic Republic inherited most of its political institutes of the Vietnamese state. In article one of the Constitution of 2011, after the inclusion of northern Cambodia, Indochina is described as a 'Democratic Republic consisting of three regions united under the sovereign Unity Party'. This definition includes several elements, starting with democratic. Indochina is not considered a real democracy by other nations since the only party allowed to participate in elections is the UPI. The country does however have a parliament with moderate power, the Indochinese National Assembly, and different candidates can be voted for. The democracy as present in Indochina can best be compared to the people's democracies in Eastern Europe during the last years of communism, not surprising since the 'socialist' past of Vietnam and Laos.

A second element is that Indochina is a republic. This is mostly is outer form though as the leader of the country, Nguyễn Đỗ ever sinc ehis appointment in 1994, is called president. No real republican institutions have developed since all power ultimately resides with the Unity Party, a third feature of the system. According to the Constitution sovereignty resides with the UPI which governs the people in the name of common good. The UPI has moved away from communism though, stressing the nationalist aspects of its program more stronger. The influence of marxist thought can however still be seen in the aggressive stance against imperialism. The UPI determines who runs in elections and delivers the president who holds the right to veto all parliamentary decisions.


 * Oppression, military police, part of the economy state controlled, ...
 * International neutrality, harsh language against 'imperialism'

Economy

 * State interference on many levels, form of failed 'market socialism'
 * Policy switching between more control and more freedom over time
 * Stagnation, oppressed inflation, monetary overhang, ...
 * Depends on foreign aid to cope with food shortages etc.