Pure White Banner of the Sage's Pure Teachings
| The Pure White Banner of the Sage's Pure Teachings ଧାଯ ମରସି ବାରାକ ଦମ୍ମ ମରସି ମହାମୁନି Dhaja maraci barak damma maraci mahamuni | |
|---|---|
| File:Purity gang2.png Flag of the Pure White Banner | |
| Leader | Top commanders: |
| Dates of operation | 1959-Present |
| Headquarters | Baharam, Agrih province, Kraong Nam |
| Active regions | Kraong Nam, Tinza |
| Ideology | Khaturvism (Main) Anti-communism |
| Part of | Kraongnamese Pro Government alliance |
| Allies | Kraongnamese Royal Armed Forces |
| Opponents | United Red Lotus Movement |
The Pure White Banner of the Sage's Pure Teachings, often referred to simply as The Pure White Banner, is a supranational paramilitary organisation located in East Borea. It was formed in 1959 at Baharam Royal Temple in southern Kraong Nam, which was threatened by the Red Lotus Movement's offensive, before growing into a large volunteer force by the end of the offensive. Its founder was Li Yeng, a lieutenant in the Kraongnamese Royal Army and layman from the local community, while Banyamuni Mahadol served as the spiritual and ideological head of the organisation. The Pure White Banner is part of the National Alliance, a group of paramilitaries loyal to the Government of Kraong Nam, with their Banyamuni recognised as the head of Khaturvism in Kraong Nam. Besides their presence in Kraong Nam, they have a smaller presence within Narmada and Tinza. A current estimate of the Pure White Banner's manpower is around 50,000 members, many of whom are militants. They receive their funding from the Kraongnamese government as well as through donations by Khaturvists worldwide and through criminal activities such as arms trafficking and looting.
History
Cotrism in Yunlin has historically been threatened from the north by the nomadic tribes, which has necessitated the creation of armed forces to defend observatories and shrines. These groups were known as Shrine Guards (Yen: Shéndiàn shǒuwèi) and were often organised by local rulers. This tradition died off in the 1600s, as the threat from the north was no longer deemed to be great enough to warrant the existence of private armies.
Foundation
In 1979, the State of Truth was declared and took control of much of northern Qyred. The truth cleansing sect, while not very popular in Yunlin, had some adherents in southern Longmen province which was embroiled in the Yunlinese Civil War. There was a small uprising of adherents in Sanxi, which was quickly quelled by local forces. Over 1980, the situation in Longmen and the surrounding provinces deteriorated rapidly, allowing the State of Truth to invade the region. They made quick gains in many areas, by 1981 threatenening the Gushu valley in northern Longmen. This was the location of a prominent Observatory, one of the oldest in Yunlin. Local clergy were afraid that the Observatory would fall into enemy hands, leading Master Han Oogway to declare the defence of the Observatory to be a holy duty of all Cotrists. A group of volunteers was assemled, led by lieutenant Li Yeng. The Pure White Banner attracted around 6,000 volunteers who were rushed to the front lines by Yunlinese military command, achieving success in several smaller skirmishes with State of Truth militants. News of their formation spread across the nation and membership was promoted by Cotrist officials in Yunlin and beyond. Their numbers swelled to 24,000 by the end of the first year, while they began to recieve formal training from military teachers. Despite their successes, the Yunlinese National Armed Forces were weakened by internal factions and ground was lost to the State of Truth, including the entirety of Nanmen province and much of southern Longmen province.
Reorganisation
With the existential threat to the Gushu Observatory gone, the Pure White Banner was reorganised into a more formal military unit similar to the armies of local warlords. They were given a standardised uniform and equipment, while a centralised chain of command developed. Masters of other observatories requested guards, transforming the Pure White Banner from a regional paramilitary force to the unofficial army of Yunlinese Cotrism. With the numbers of local volunteers swelling their ranks, provincial headquarters were established under the Longmen command centre to provide localised command and increase efficiency. This growth in strength brought the Pure White Banner into the focus of several factions during the civil war, as they were seen to be a valuable ally due to their military size and popular support. Leaders of several warlord cliques attempted to sway the Pure White Banner, offering better equipment and religious and political concessions. Several local chapters of the organisation did indeed break off in this period, most notably the Qiannan province chapter who joined the Front of Eastern Banners to form the Cotrist Liberation Army of Qiannan. Despite this, the Pure White Banner remained loyal to the central government but declared that they "would not interfere in the secular war when a more important war was being raged".
1986 Longmen Offensive
At the start of 1986, the Pure White Banner had consolidated their position with new recruits and looked to move against the State of Truth's holdings in southern Yunlin. A plan was developed in coordination with the Yunlinese National Army which involved a {[wp|combined arms}} assault on several key positions held by the State of Truth, with the aim of liberating the towns of Sanxi and Hokkong which had fallen in early 1981. The Pure White Banner were tasked with the liberation of Sanxi and its surrounding area, a tough task as the State of Truth's positions were well fortified and their local support was strongest here.
The plan was for Pure White Banner soldiers to advance from the northeast, before splitting into two groups and attempting to outflank the State of Truth forces who were to be pinned by a heavy artillery barrage. Captured tanks were to be used for armoured support, while air support was provided by the Yunlinese National Air Force. The operation began at three in the morning on the 23rd of April, as the Pure White Banner attack made its way forwards under the cover of darkness. By dawn, they were in a position to attack the weaker eastern flank of the SoT defences. The attack opened with a barrage of fire from the Pure White Banner's artillery division, which was equipped with mortars and some older cannons. This bombardment ddealt few casualties, but managed to cause several breaches in the enemy defences. The assault itself began soon after, as trucks laden with soldiers raced across the battlefield towards Sanxi. Unknown to the Yunlinese command, the area had been mined, causing many casualties. The Pure White Banner resorted to primitive minesweeping methods such as using tree branches to detonate the primitive pressure mines, and while they lost large amounts of men they eventually reached the enemy lines and began firing. The fighting was brutal, with both sides sustaining heavy casualties, but after seven hours of fighting the State of Truth forces were forced to retreat and abandoned Sanxi. The Yunlinese National Armed Forces were successful in their attack on Hokkong.
In the following weeks, the combined forces advanced through Longmen province. They liberated several other small towns, encountering fierce resistance from local State of Truth cadres. When the offensive was ended in October after logistical issues meant that no further advance was possible, two thirds of State of Truth occupied Longmen had been liberated. The Pure White Banner lost over 9,000 men in the campaign, making it their largest amount of lives lost in such a period of time.
Ideology
Structure
Marshal
The highest military commander in the Pure White Banner is the Marshal of the Pure White Banner of the Sage's Pure Teachings. The Marshal is selected by the Master of the Pure White Banner from the Pure White Banner's officers, with some input from other military staff. To be eligible for the position, a soldier must have served in the Banner for at least ten years and pass several religious tests in addition to showing their competency on the field of battle. The Marshal's authority extends over all field units of the Pure White Banner, including activists and other non-combatant members. He also has a position cemented in the government of Yunlin according to the terms of the Rainbow Banner Pact, giving the organisation influence over secular policy passed in the nation. The first Marshal of the Pure White Banner was Li Yeng, who was the highest ranking officer to take up the call to arms issued by the Gushu Observatory in 1981. The current holder of the position is Wu Qin, a veteran of 16 years who has been the Marshal for three years. Under Wu Qin the Pure White Banner has expanded its focus from southern Yunlin to a more regional focus, deploying units to Qyred and other nations which have been attacked by the State of Truth. He has also started focusing on overseas recruits, building up a presence in Asuran Observatories and lobbying foreign governments and non-governmental organisations to contribute funding for their war on terror.
Master
Criticisms
Human Rights Breaches
The Pure White Banner have been accused by international organisations of several human rights breaches. These include accusations of forced conversion of both State of Truth militants and general civilians who followed the Truth Cleansing sect or other religions such as folk religions or Irsad. The most high profile and well documented incident of forced conversion came in 2007, when the village of Nanjen was liberated by the Pure White Banner. All of the village's inhabitants were forced into the town square and, at gunpoint, told that they had to renounce any "heretical beliefs and accept the true way" or they would be shot. Over 70 people refused to recant their beliefs and were shot, their bodies dumped in a mass grave just outside the village. The entire event was recorded on camera, and released onto the internet causing mass uproar. The Marshal at the time, Yang Luo, was forced to resign after it emerged that he had encouraged such tactics. The incident damaged the organisation's international reputation, causing much international funding to be lost. 30 of the soldiers involved were executed, and others were dismissed.
The Pure White Banner is also accused of many other incidences of mass killings, as well as accusations of targetting civilians and of mass rapes and looting being perpetrated in liberated villages. These events are often played down as being the work of rogue individuals, and soldiers caught doing such actions are liable to be hung or face other punishment. Despite this, it is widely seen that the Pure White Banner plays down such events and covers up their crimes in order to seem like a trustworthy force.