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Loa Laws

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The Loa Laws (Pelaxian: Leyes Loa) refer to the set of laws enacted in Navidadia with the express purpose of discriminating against the Loa which carried into the Delepasian Commonwealth. These laws served as the legal backbone of the Navidadian System, especially the laws passed after the United Navidadian Party won its first government in 1940, which were the brainchild of the racial theory written by Pablo Rosales, who became Minister of Loa Affairs in 1945 and President of Navidadia in 1953.

The basis behind these laws came to be around the time of Navidadia's establishment in 1875 when the nation's first president, Sancho Abascal, explained that "the sheer incivility and cruelty of the Loa against our forefathers the Romany is clear indication that our society has no need nor want of these savages; they are to be shown how to behave properly, how to live like normal civilised human beings lest they wish to become the outcasts of our children's children's society". The Delepasians of Navidadia saw these laws as a way of "getting back" at the Loa for their supposed misdeeds against civilised folk.

What started off as strict pass laws (which often led to citizens of Takatta Loa being forced into indentured servitude due to them not knowing about these laws; an omission that was most likely done on purpose to secure Loa servants without having to go to war) soon became a full-on institution of racial segregation and eventually forced societal divergence with the establishment of the Loaland protectorate which saw an influx of Loa who were forcibly removed from the cities and slums of Navidadia. To many people at the time, this was seen as the only way to ensure racial harmony between the two groups, fearing that integration could lead to either the Delepasians being outbred, or a repeat of the Romany persecutions of the 1750s.

The Loa Laws eventually came to end after the Velvet Revolution in 1994, the result of a military coup that was fueled by the ever-increasing unpopularity and expenses of the protracted Loaland campaigns in the 1980s. These laws were repealed as part of an agreement between the provisional government of Castadilla and the leadership of Loaland which led to the creation of the Loa-majority states of Kalanatoa and Na'aturie, both constitutional theocracies.

Background

Main articles: Loa Empire and Romany Kingdoms

The main catalyst behind the Loa Laws is said to have begun in the 18th Century during the time of the then-powerful Loa Empire. Undergoing a period of expansionism, the realm had conquered neighbouring Polynesian and Latinic kingdoms. The latter of which, in what is now southwestern Castadilla, included the three Romany Kingdoms in 1751. The kingdoms were quickly overpowered and the people were suppressed and persecuted greatly, causing a mass exodus of the Romany into the Viceroyalty of Los Rumas, bringing with them the horror stories of Loa rule for the colonists to listen to. The Romany soon intermarried with the colonists, thus giving birth to the Navidadians.

For the next 100 years, the Navidadians waited with bated breath for signs of weakness in Loa Empire, making preparations for what they called the Gran Restauración ("Great Restoration"), citing their supposed birthright claim over the former lands of the Romany. Problem was, the Viceroyalty had no interest in sending colonists into Loa territory, fearing that it may spark a war, but once the Viceroyalty was dissolved in 1852, the Navidadians began their trek into the northeastern corner of the Loa Empire, which by then had been undergoing internal strife and thus had no means to push back against the settlers. When the Loa Empire ultimately collapsed in 1875, the Navidadians soon conquered a sizeable portion of this corner, and a month later established Navidadia.

Their supposed birthright reclaimed, the Navidadians set to work on punishing the Loa for the "treachery of 1751". Popular chants at the time included "Remember 1751", "Remember the Romany", "For the Birthright", and "Avenge the Treachery". In his inaugural address, Sancho Abascal, first president of the nascent Navidadian republic stated that "the sheer incivility and cruelty of the Loa against our forefathers the Romany is clear indication that our society has no need nor want of these savages; they are to be shown how to behave properly, how to live like normal civilised human beings lest they wish to become the outcasts of our children's children's society". The result of over 120 years of Loaphobia formulated from horror stories and fueled by revanchism, Navidadia was born.

Laws

Pre-Navidadian System laws

19th Century laws

  • The first of the Loa Laws was a piece of legislation which introduced a "hut tax" which taxed the Loa on a "per hut" (basically any forms of household) basis. The tax may be paid in money, labour, grain, or stock. This made the Loa highly dependent on the capitalism established by the Navidadian establishment.
  • The second of the Loa Laws were pieces of legislation which decreed that all ethnic Loa in Navidadia would be required to carry a pass to move about the country for any purpose, otherwise they must remain in their hometowns regardless; this sometimes even extended to remaining in the same part of a settlement if it was large enough, and any Loa caught without a pass were to be put into indentured servitude. This had often led to situations where Loa from outside Navidadia were forced to stay in Navidadia due to them getting caught without a pass, a fact that the Navidadian government often omitted during that time period as an easy way to clandestinely create additional Loa servants without risking potential warfare. The process to obtain these passes was set up so as to purposefully be as bureaucratic and as difficult as possible, ensuring that a vast majority of Loa applicants would be rejected. An additional law would decree that any prospective Loa immigrants are to be granted passes for the sole purpose of seeking work. These passes were generally only issued to Loa who were the result of interracial marriages between a Loa and a Delepasian; other Loa were still forced to carry the old passes.
  • Prior to 1891, additional "Loa laws" were passed to limit the freedom of unskilled workers (which were disproportionately almost entirely consisted of Loa; any Delepasian unskilled worker retained their freedoms due to a grandfather clause), to increase the restrictions on indentured servants (Loa servants were no longer allowed to lodge a complaint against their masters; any attempt to do so may have resulted in an extension of indentured servitude as punishment), and to regulate the relations between the races (Loa were now legally obligated to always address a Delepasian in formal and respectful honourifics; any Loa caught using a more familiar term would be forced into indentured servitude).
  • Qualified Franchise Act (1891) - Raised the property franchise qualification and added an educational element, thus disproportionately disenfranchising a large number of Loa voters. Any Delepasian who would have been disenfranchised because of this rule retained their rights based on the grandfather clause, something that was not offered to the Loa voters despite them having had voting rights prior to that law being passed. This was the first of many laws that would strip the Loa of voting rights over the span of a century.
  • Tenancy Act (1893) - This was the first of many laws that would limit the Loa's right to own land. This law limited the amount of land that Loa could hold, forcing many to give up vast swaths of land to Delepasians at prices far below their value. This also introduced a system of individual land tenure and created a labour tax, forcing Loa men into either employment on commercial farms or in industry.
  • Two additional pass laws were enacted in 1896 that required Loa to wear a badge; they still had to carry passes in conjunction with the badges. Remaining on the Peseta was severely limited to Loa who were employed by a master, and special passes were required for any Loa to enter a "labour district".
  • The Constitution of Navidadia had the following line appended to its preamble in 1900: "the just predominance of the Delepasian race in Vallos is the founding principle of our fair domain", the first of many instances of Delepasian exceptionalism.

20th Century laws

In the early 20th Century, Navidadia began to embrace a form of Delepasian exceptionalism, which not only saw the Delepasians as the most civlised people on Vallos, but it also openly supported racial segregation so as to ensure the "continued prosperity of the Delepasian people" at the expense of racial minoritys:

  • General Regulations Act (1905) - A two-pronged approach in limiting Loa suffrage and restricting Loa movement, this law denied Loa the vote and limited them to certain fixed areas. Arguably the beginning of what would become the "Loaland policy".
  • Starting in 1906, the Navidadian Loa Affairs Commission under Marcelo Esteban began implementing a more openly segregationist policy towards the Loa.
  • Mine and Work Act (1907) - Gave the President powers to grant, cancel, and suspend certificates of competency to mine managers, mine overseers, mine surveyors, mechanical engineers, engine-drivers and miners entitled to blast. It also gave him the power to decide which other occupations should be required to possess certificates of competency. It gave Delepasian workers a monopoly of skilled operations at any rate.
  • Mine and Work Amendment (1908) - Limited the ability to obtain certificates of competence in certain mine-related occupations to Delepasians.
  • Navidadia Act (1910) - Enacted universal male suffrage for all Delepasians in Navidadia regardless of status or land ownership. Although the Qualified Franchise Act of 1891 had a grandfather clause for poor Delepasians, this law made suffrage unconditional for all adult male Delepasians. The law also gave them complete control over all other racial groups while at the same time removed the right of the Loa to sit in legislature.
  • Virgin Land Act (1912) - The second piece of "Loaland" legislation, this law defined less than one-tenth of Navidadia as Loa "reserves" and prevented Loa from purchasing or leasing land outside the reserves unless they were given explicit approval from the President to do so. This also restricted the terms of tenure under which the Loa could live on Delepasian-owned farms. Many Loa became squatters overnight and were rendered homeless in land that was once theirs.
  • Loa in Urban Areas Bill (1919) - A piece of "Loaland" legislation that was designed to force the Loa into certain "locations" under threat of indentured servitude.
  • Urban Lands Act (1921) - This law deemed urban areas in Navidadia as "Delepasian areas", and all Loa men living in cities and towns were required by this law to carry around passes at all times. In contrast to the 1919 law, this law deported Loa who were caught without a pass to a rural area rather than forcing them into indentured servitude.
  • Mine and Work Amendment (1923) - This bracketed those who were the result of interracial relationships between a Loa and a Delepasian into a position of privilege by reason that they were closer to the Delepasians in culture than they were to the Loa.
  • Immorality Crackdown Act (1926) - Extramarital sex between Delepasians and Loa were strictly prohibited under threat of prison time (five years for men; four years for women), and prohibited the "procuring" of women for the purpose of interracial sex as well as knowingly allowing premises to be used for interracial sex. This was the first of the anti-miscegenation laws passed in Navidadia.
  • Loa Administration Act (1926) - The President of Navidadia had the right to banish a Loa from one area to another whenever he deemed this to be "in the general public interest". This Act set up a separate legal system for the administration of Loa law and made the proclaimed Loa areas subject to a separate political regime from the remainder of the country, ultimately subject only to rule of decree and not legislature. It also forbade the utterance of any words that may promote any feelings of hostility between Delepasians and the Loa.
  • Loa Representation Act (1932) - Removed Loa voters to a separate roll and halted the right of Loa to run for office. With this act, the small Loa elite, as many Loa never had the vote, were removed from the common rolls. Instead, the Loa elite had to elect three Delepasians to the legislature by a system of block voting. A Loa Representative Council was created which consisted of six Delepasian officials, and sixteen Loa; four nominated, and twelve elected.
  • Loa Land and Trust Act (1932) - Complemented the 1912 Virgin Land Act by increasing the percentage of land in Loa reserves to less than 15 percent of Navidadia.
  • Urban Land Amendment (1940) - Imposed an "influx control" on Loa men as well as setting up guidelines for removing people deemed to be living idle lives from urban areas. There were also qualifications that allow for Loa peoples to legally reside in Delepasian metropolitan areas.

Navidadian System laws

Under Navidadia

Since the election of the United Navidadian Party (PNU) in 1940, the government of Navidadia began to work towards turning the country into a homogeneous Delepasian nation-state, with the Loa being forced into a protectorate that would be granted nominal autonomy and eventually nominal independence. These laws, designed by future president Pablo Rosales, would put additional restrictions on the Loa with the idea being that they would leave Navidadia for the Loaland protectorate where they would allegedly be guaranteed full rights and privileges:

  • Blood Purity Act (1944) - Prohibited marriage or any form of sexual relationship between Loa and Delepasians, even if the marriage took place outside of Navidadia. Enforcement of the law was left to the police, who would often follow people to their homes to ensure that they were not in violation. Any households suspected of being in violation were raided and the couple arrested and imprisoned. The law was retroactive too, annulling any existing Loa-Delepasian marriages.
  • Morality Preservation Act (1945) - Prohibited any form of romantic relationships between a Delepasian and a Loa, complementing the Blood Purity Act and the Immorality Crackdown Act.
  • Population Registry Act (1945) - Every inhabitant of Navidadia has to register in accordance with their racial characteristic. A Racial Classification Office was set up to overview the process created by this law, determining who goes in which category based on criteria such as outer appearance, general appearance, and social standing. An additional board was established in the event of reclassification, an event that was not uncommon during the Navidadian System.
  • Geographical Groups Act (1945) - The President was granted the power to declare certain geographical areas to be for exclusive occupation of specific racial groups, this was often used to remove Loa from valuable pieces of land to make way for Delepasian settlements. A one-year grace period was put in place over areas designated for exclusive ethnic occupation. This was another pillar of what would become Loaland as that would eventually become the one part of Navidadia not to be designated for exclusive Delepasians occupation.
  • Suppression of Subversion Act (1945) - Banned any and all parties that aimed to put an end to the Navidadian System. The act used very broad and vague terms so as to give the government maximum leeway to label anyone who so much as opposed government policy a subversive. This law was used often to gag opposition to the system under the pretense of "disrupting racial harmony". Disorderly gatherings were banned, as were certain organisations that were deemed threatening to the government. It also empowered the Ministry of Justice to impose banning orders.
  • Loa Builders Act (1946) - Allowed for the training of Loa in skilled labour in the construction industry while also limiting the places in which they were permitted to work. Loa were forbidden from working in the employ of Delepasians performing skilled labour in their homes.
  • Farming Dignity Act (1946) - Squatting communities could now be forcibly removed. Landowners, local authorities, and government officials were permitted to evict and destroy the homes of squatters. The name of the law came from the numerous amounts of shanty towns that were set up on farmland.
  • Loa Authorities Act (1947) - Another "Loaland law", the Loa Authorities Act established a basis for ethnic government in areas outside the areas reserved for Delepasians. Any and all political rights held by Loa were to be restricted to Loaland.
  • Geographical Groups Amendment (1947) - Limited the amount of exemptions put in place by the Geographical Groups Act which allowed certain Loa the right to permanent residence in urban areas.
  • Loa Act (1947) - Instituted a new pass law which required that all Loa over the age of 16 to carry a "passbook" at all times within Delepasian areas. The law also stipulated where, when, and for how long a person with a passbook could remain within Delepasian areas.
  • National Security Act (1948) - Gave the government the power to declare stringent states of emergency and increased the penalties for protesting against or supporting the repeal of a law.
  • Loa Labour Act (1948) - Prohibited strike action by Loa workers.
  • Loa Education Act (1948) - Segregated educational facilities, and ended the funding of all missionary schools. Loa schools now emphasised Loa culture and vocational training under the Ministry of Loa Affairs.
  • Separate Amenities Act (1948) - Municipal grounds could now be racially segregated same with public premises, vehicles, and services. Facilities reserved for Delepasians were generally of the highest quality while Loa facilities were often far more inferior. This, however, excluded certain zoos that were not permitted to segregate due to the requirements in the "Deeds of Gift, under which these zoos were acquired.
  • Loa Resettlement Act (1949) - Removed additional Loa from urban areas to Loaland.
  • Communities Act (1950) - Helped effect the Geographical Groups Act, mainly to exclude Loa from living in the most developed areas, which were restricted to Delepasians.
  • Rowdy Demonstrations Act (1951) - Prohibited gatherings in open-air spaces if the Minister of Justice deems them dangers to the public peace at large. Banishment was included as a form of punishment.
  • Trade Unions Act (1951) - Barred the registration of new non-segregated unions, and forced existing unions to segregate. Strikes in industries that were considered "essential" were banned as were the ability of unions to have political affiliations, thus weakening the unions. Skilled jobs could now be reserved for Delepasian workers.
  • Loa Appeals Act (1951) - Loa were forbidden from appealing to the courts as a means of an interdict or any legal process against forced removals.
  • Sexual Morality Act (1952) - Replaced previous sexual morality acts with one that prohibited any and all forms of prostitution. It also prohibited sex between a Delepasian and a Loa regardless of the context.
  • Loa Investments Act (1954) - A mechanism was set up to transfer capital to Loaland for the purpose of creating employment.
  • University Extension Act (1954) - Prohibited Loa students from registering at a formerly open university with first obtaining written permission from the Minister of Internal Affairs. The law also allowed for Loa universities to be set up.
  • Encouragement of Loa Autonomy Act (1954) - Allowed for the transformation of Loaland into a "fully fledged independent state" as a supposed means of providing the Loa with the right to self-determination. Any and all forms of representation for the Loa in Navidadia was abolished, and the remaining Loa who could still vote were disenfranchised.
  • Treachery Act (1955) - Any organisations deemed a threat to public order was declared unlawful. All anti-Navidadian System groups were immediately declared unlawful.
  • Indemnity Act (1956) - Protected the government and any citizen from any legal repercussions for whatever violent events that followed. This allowed for anyone who may otherwise have committed a crime to go off with no punishment if they claimed that it was in the name of preserving the Navidadian System.
  • Urban Loa Councils Act (1956) - Replaced the advisory boards that were created by the Urban Lands Act, and permitted the democratic elections of new municipal councils with Loa chairmen which were assigned some administrative duties.
  • General Laws Amendments Act (1958) - Allowed Navidadian police to detain without a person suspected of a politically motivated crime for up to 90 days without access to a lawyer. Suspects may be re-detained for an additional 90 days immediately after release, and people convicted of political offenses may be further detained for at least twelve months.
  • Terrorism Act (1962) - Senior police officers may detain anyone suspected of involvement in acts of terrorism, which was very broadly defined, for a period of 60 days (which could be renewed) without standing trial. This allowed the government to make people disappear.
  • Political Trickeries Act (1963) - Prohibited racial groups from collaborating with each other for a political purpose, designed mostly to prevent Delepasian-led anti-Navidadian System groups from forming.
  • Loaland Citizenship Act (1965) - Stripped the Loa of their Navidadian citizenship and gave them Loaland citizenship.
  • Loaland Constitution Act (1966) - Enabled the Navidadian government to grant independence to Loaland. Navidadia hoped to grant Loaland independence in the future.
  • Key Points Protection Act (1975) - Provides for the declaration and protection of sites of national strategic importance against sabotage. The law is still in effect to this day.

Under Delepasia

The newly-unified Delepasian Commonwealth inherited the Loa Laws that were in effect in Navidadia, albeit with some changes to reflect the new Delepasian political structure. As such, only two new laws were really passed, both in 1977, although Nicolas Torres, Delepasian prime minister from 1988 to 1994, would attempt to give Loaland more and more autonomy than what the Navidadians had planned for:

End of the laws

Main article: Velvet Revolution

The end of the Loa Laws happened in 1994 with the advent of the Velvet Revolution, the result of a military coup that was fueled by the ever-increasing unpopularity and expenses of the protracted Loaland campaigns in the 1980s. The provisional government and the representatives of the Loa began to negotiate in 1995 which sparked the symbolic end to the Navidadian System and the Loa Laws overall. As a result of those negotiations, Loaland was to be reintegrated into Castadilla, but not as one Loa-majority state. The Loa representatives asked for two Loa-majority states which would result in the establishment of Kalanatoa and Na'aturie. Other effects caused by this negotiation was the immediate and unconditional release and amnesty of all prisoners who fought against the Navidadian System, the transformation of Navidadia into a biracial state (resulting in Junu'urinia Ba'andasi-Navidadia, complete with a new flag representing its biracial status) for both Loa and Delepasians alike, the immediate re-enfranchisement of all Loa, an end to the glorification of Navidadian frontierism, and the immediate restoration of non-Loaland citizenship.

Pablo Rosales, who was the architect behind most of the Loa Laws during the time of the Navidadian System, came to regret his role in the Navidadian System, making a point to washing the feet of surviving victims of the Navidadian System until his death in 2022 at the age of 101.

See also

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