July Crisis
The July Crisis or Jubilee Crisis was a major diplomatic crisis between Badu Park and the Republic of Xahastan that occured from the 5th of July to 30 of July 2023, over the death of well renowned Badu Parkian journalist Cornstain Chapman whilst he was investigating piracy and underground criminal organizations in the far northern regions of Johnstons Creek.
Background
After continuous war and occupation, the far northern regions of Johnstons Creek fell into a deep state of economic collapse, caused by excessive tariffs imposed by Badu Parkian forces on all goods exported and imported from Johnstons Creek. The far north's primary source of industry was fishing within Rozell Bay which provided a food source for the majority of Johnston's Creek and the greater micronational community, with the far north's entire population being employed in the industry. There were many smaller companies and independent fishermen, however the vast majority of the population was employed at the Metropolitan & Wayne Fishing Company which alone controlled over 80% of the market. The region was relatively prosperous even during the Sydney World War, however the prosperity began to dwindle as Xahastanian forces began to moor their naval vessels on the Jubilee Park side of Rozell Bay, with the Xahastanian Navy also pumping their vessels sewage and garbage into the bay causing heavy amounts of pollution, killing off and driving fish away from the bay. This coupled with the political instability of Johnstons Creek and new excessive tariffs imposed by the Badu Parkian government caused the Metropolitan & Wayne Fishing Company to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, with the company laying off almost 70% of its workforce. In one fell swoop the Metropolitan & Wayne Fishing Company went from having over 235 workers to just 71, this caused outrage within the region, particularly within the union as almost all of the workers laid off were union workers.
The bankruptcy of Metropolitan & Wayne Fishing Company and the seeming death of the fishing industry led to a mass exodus from the region to more "prosperous" areas of Johnstons Creek and other micronations entirely. What was left was a series of near-ghost fishing towns as well as a lot of abandoned infrastructure. Many of those who chose to stay soon turned to drugs and piracy within Rozell Bay in order to make whatever income they could with the region being given the new nickname "Ice Pirate Creek" due to the sheer amount of drug use and piracy occuring. The region soon became a hub for piracy as old fishing kayaks and Tinnies became used for piracy, with larger Tinnies often being used as motherships. This urban decay soon caused a breakdown in law and order within the region, it was so severe the Xahstanian government launched a full scale invasion to combat piracy in the region as it was making Xahastanian naval operations more hazardous and difficult as pirates would often try and board Xahastanian naval vessels as they arrived and left rozell bay. The Xahastanian invasion of the region was relatively successful as many of the pirates were killed and much of their equipment being destroyed during the invasion. Piracy decreased in the region however many in the Johnston's Creek Liberation Army viewed the invasion as an act of imperialism within the creek and actively vowed to push Xahstanian military forces out of the region, this is despite the groups very close ties Xahstanian government. For the first time, the Xahastanian Defence Force actively engaged JCLA militants in the creek despite there previously close cooperation. Ever since then there has been on and off fighting between the XDF and JCLA in the region, further contributing to its decay.
History
Death of Cornstain Chapman
On the 5th of July 2023 well renowned Badu Parkian journalist Cornstain Chapman and his team traveled to the region to create a series of investigative articles on the current state of piracy and underground criminal organizations in the far northern regions of Johnstons Creek as well as claims of war crimes committed by the JCLA against residents of the far north. Chapman was a very well renowned journalist and he was widely regarded as the only source of completely unbiased micronational news, he was even endorsed by the Xahastanian Bureau of Information as completely unbiased. His travel to the creek was largely funded out of his own pocket however Japitty Cumquat