The East African military had essentially confirmed its policy of clearing out as much of the original local population as possible. But if it could do so by "gentler" means, with less killing, that would be even better.
Rumors were a relatively "gentle" method. By spreading East Africa's fearsome reputation, they could make a considerable number of people voluntarily leave the Kra Isthmus Territory, reducing the East African Army's workload afterward.
Songkhla Province.
After negotiations with the Siam government concluded, Ande, the high official, did not return to Lanfang. Instead, he directly led his entourage to Songkhla Province.
"Currently, the military is spreading rumors throughout the Kra Isthmus Territory. I believe that before long, the Isthmus of Kra will see a massive wave of population migration," the secretary reported to Ande.
These so-called rumors were in fact mostly true. After all, East Africa's crimes in the Nanyang region were too numerous to record on bamboo slips. Naturally, however, the East African government could not admit this publicly, so these truths became so-called "rumors."
Ande said, "Very good. There have clearly been many more ships in Songkhla these past few days. It seems a large number of Siamese are leaving the area, which saves us quite a bit of trouble."
Songkhla Port was the naval base selected by the Pacific Fleet. A massive migration was currently underway there. Many local residents had already purchased tickets for ships headed to northern Siam, though quite a few still chose to remain.
Ande said, "Those still staying in Songkhla probably cannot imagine what fate awaits them. Once the Pacific Fleet arrives, this place will become the Empire's military bridgehead."
"Especially those ill-intentioned heathens. If they regard the Empire as the same sort as the Siam government, they will suffer a great loss."
Although Lanfang