Updated country description for Hanzen

[jamescfm]

The Role-Play Committee is updating the descriptions of the forum-based countries. For more information about the changes, please see the announcement post here: viewtopic.php?p=191143#p191143

Below is our updated country description for Hanzen. Players are invited to offer their feedback on the proposal in this thread. A period of at least two weeks will be allowed for players to provide feedback. This period will end at the end of the day on 19 January 2024. The feedback period may be extended if discussions remain ongoing at the end of the initial two week period.

HANZEN

Hanzen is based on Thailand, as well as Cambodia and Laos.

ETHNIC GROUPS

Phra (Thai)- 67%
Chon (Khmer)- 14%
Suman (Lao)-12%
Yingdalan (Han Chinese)- 3%
Other- 4%

RELIGION

Upayana Daenism (Theravada Buddhism)- 94%
No religion- 4%
Other- 2%

LANGUAGE

Phra (Thai) is the dominant language in Hanzen. Chon (Khmer) and Suman (Lao) are spoken as first languages by the country’s ethnic minority populations.

[Wu Han]

Not the current controller of Hanzen — and so I'd defer to them — but I've always thought of Hanzen as being composed of >90% Theravada Buddhists, similar to RL Thailand (93.5%) or Cambodia (97.1%)*. Buddhism, and the faith's connection to the Monarchy in Hanzen, has been a source of the state's legitimacy across different communities.

*Though the figure for Laos (another RL inspo for Hanzen) is officially less (64.7%), the second largest religion is a folk religion which largely draws on Theravada Buddhism—the syncretic relationship between these faiths makes it difficult to ascertain good statistics. If we consider this folk religion to be Theravada-adjacent, then Theravada and Theravada-adjacent religion is practiced by 96.7% of Laotians.

[jamescfm]

After speaking to both Wu Han and the current controller of Hanzen alaskancrabpuffs21, we agreed to an increase in the number of adherents to Upayana Daenism (Theravada Buddhism) in Hanzen. As a result of my own forgetfulness, the updated proposal was never presented in this public feedback thread. For that reason, I am doing it now and extending the feedback period to the end of the day on 21 January 2024.

Below are the original and updated versions of our proposal. The version in the original post has been updated.

ORIGINAL VERSION

HANZEN

Hanzen is based on Thailand, as well as Cambodia and Laos.

ETHNIC GROUPS

Phra (Thai)- 67%
Chon (Khmer)- 14%
Suman (Lao)-12%
Yingdalan (Han Chinese)- 3%
Other- 4%

RELIGION

Upayana Daenism (Theravada Buddhism)- 85%
No religion- 13%
Other- 2%

LANGUAGE

Phra (Thai) is the dominant language in Hanzen. Chon (Khmer) and Suman (Lao) are spoken as first languages by the country’s ethnic minority populations.

UPDATED VERSION

HANZEN

Hanzen is based on Thailand, as well as Cambodia and Laos.

ETHNIC GROUPS

Phra (Thai)- 67%
Chon (Khmer)- 14%
Suman (Lao)-12%
Yingdalan (Han Chinese)- 3%
Other- 4%

RELIGION

Upayana Daenism (Theravada Buddhism)- 94%
No religion- 4%
Other- 2%

LANGUAGE

Phra (Thai) is the dominant language in Hanzen. Chon (Khmer) and Suman (Lao) are spoken as first languages by the country’s ethnic minority populations.

[jamescfm]

The feedback period has concluded and the country description has been updated. Please continue to share any concerns, queries or suggestions in this thread.