Well, a bit off topic. But one of my friends started a RP forum with people playing Nationstates, then gradually started recruiting people to RP from Facebook.*
So having active RP's in a region is entirely possible, as long as you find the right theme that keeps people interested.
It is also...
Unless the administration in charge is out to cause missteps and international issues to get publicity, good or bad - in which case you can't overturn policy that those above you are set in stone about pursuing.
Not to say that it happens all the time, and usually such difficult situations...