Cuáma Massacre

The Cuáma Massacre, also known as the Rape of Cuáma, was a horrific and large-scale mass murder of civilian inhabitants of the Riyan capital city of Cuáma by the Qonklese Imperial Army during the Pangyeoun War. The massacre took place over a period of five days, beginning on March 1st, 1940, and was led by the 1st Army under the command of Marshal Gai Màn.

Background

Cuáma, the historical spiritual capital of the Kwang, had long been coveted by successive Qonklese dynasties, which sought to reclaim the city and restore it as the imperial capital. Under the reign of Emperor Dain Pain, the Qonklese Empire embarked on an aggressive campaign to annex Riyana, culminating in the invasion of Cuáma.

Massacre

Faced with an imperial edict from Dain Pain to eradicate all possible civilian resistance within five days in preparation for the city's renaming as the new imperial capital, Marshal Gai Màn ordered his troops to simply slaughter the inhabitants of Cuáma.

The ensuing massacre saw Qonklese soldiers indiscriminately killing men, women, and children. It is estimated that tens of thousands of civilians were brutally murdered during this five-day period, with some historians placing the death toll as high as 100,000. The methods of killing were gruesome and varied, including mass shootings, beheadings, bayonetings, and live burials. In addition to the killings, widespread looting and sexual violence against women and girls took place, further traumatizing the survivors and leaving a lasting scar on the city.

Aftermath

The Cuáma Massacre shocked the international community and was widely condemned as a crime against humanity. The Qonklese government's refusal to acknowledge the scale of the atrocities or accept responsibility for the actions of its military only served to further inflame global tensions.

As with official Qonklese policy at the time, Cuáma was officially given its Kwang name Khwamha, and its province Cuámela was referred to as Gi Thyan Province (Kwang: 畿京, 'surrounding the capital').

Cuáma Resettlement Program

Following the Rape of Cuáma and the beginning of the construction of the Palace of the Auspicious Sun, the Qonklese Empire initiated the Cuáma Resettlement Program. This program aimed to settle loyalist Qonklese citizens into the now-empty imperial capital. The population of Cuáma swelled to over 700,000 Qonklese citizens by 1949, when the city was liberated from imperial control.

However, the liberation of Cuáma presented Lugid liberators with a difficult situation. The city was drastically different from the Cuáma of 1940, with virtually no Riyans remaining. The liberators faced the challenge of preventing Riyan resistance from committing vengeful attacks on the loyalist Qonklese population. Despite their efforts, Riyan terrorism plagued the city until 1952, when the Riyan Provisional Government passed the Cuáma Question Act.

The Cuáma Question Act declared all Qonklese citizens in Cuáma to be illegally settling in Riyan territory and ordered them to leave within fourteen days. Over 500,000 Qonklese voluntarily left for countries that would accept them, often those with significant Qonklese diaspora, such as Angnyaiq. However, a significant portion refused to leave. The Riyan military rounded up the remaining Qonklese citizens and deported them to Qonklaks, where they were placed in amelioration camps for re-education. Those who resisted re-education faced torture or even execution.

Legacy and Memorials

In Riyana, the Cuáma Massacre is commemorated annually with a national day of mourning, during which citizens pay their respects to the victims and reflect on the importance of peace and reconciliation. A memorial and museum have been erected in Cuáma, chronicling the events of the massacre and honoring the memory of those who lost their lives. Internationally, the Cuáma Massacre has become a symbol of the need for vigilance against war crimes and the importance of holding those responsible for such atrocities accountable. The massacre has been extensively studied by historians and scholars, and its lessons continue to inform efforts to prevent and respond to mass atrocities in the modern era.

Recognition by Qonklaks

The Supreme Commune of Qonklaks, a successor state to the Qonklese Empire, refused to recognize or apologize for the Cuáma Massacre. This refusal was based on their assertion that the actions taken during the massacre were the result of an abnormal government and thus not representative of the Qonklese people as a whole. This stance was met with widespread criticism both domestically and internationally, as it was seen as an attempt to evade responsibility for the atrocity.

In a significant departure from the position of the SCQ, Nẽ Pi, the first woman prime minister of the democratic Qonklese Federation, issued a formal apology for the atrocities committed by the Qonklese Empire, including the Cuáma Massacre. During her tenure, Prime Minister Nẽ Pi made efforts to foster reconciliation between the Qonklese Federation and Riyana by acknowledging the historical grievances and taking responsibility for the actions of the past.

Nẽ Pi's apology was hailed as a groundbreaking and courageous act, marking a turning point in the relationship between Qonklese Federation and Riyana. The apology also served to open new avenues for dialogue and cooperation between the two nations, paving the way for improved relations and a mutual commitment to ensuring that such atrocities never occur again.