[denton-scratch]

> No country likes itself to be split apart

Indeed. But some countries handle independence movements with more grace than others. It's perfectly legitimate for a region to ask for independence. If the host nation is graceful, and (for example) allows independence referendums, a civil war becomes much less likely.

The host nation always fights back; but passing ten-year imprisonment sentences on the leaders of the secessionists isn't very graceful. Sending paramilitaries to beat up prrotestors and voters isn't graceful at all. A little more "graceful" is to resort to dirty tricks; Alex Salmond, former leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party, was dragged into court on trumped-up sexual harrassment charges.