LAOS (continued)
Right No.
CONFIDENTIAL
(vii)
Freedom to emigrate is non-existent. The Lao government would argue that it is necessary to prevent emigration in the interests of national security, since otherwise 'reactionaries' would leave in order to attack the national territory from outside, and in so far as they may be productively employed at present, their departure in itself would constitute economic sabotage. In practice also the authorities have not taken as effective measures as other governments (eg the GDR) to prevent illegal emigration, and the total who have fled now probably exceeds 100,000 (or 3% of the popula- tion). But more might still leave if it were not for fear of being shot if caught or of reprisals against relatives.
CONFIDENTIAL
Rating suggested by Post
9