CON IDENTIAL
5.
(d)
improving their prospects in life. by migrating by various means to more prosperous countries, or ones less subject to the threat of unwelcome political changes. Disasters,
whether natural or manmade, can often unleash a greater pressure for movement than is totally explained by the fears of suffering from political discrimination or physical and social hardship. Clearly there is a general interest in finding ways in which the pressures unleashed by disasters can be kept under control. I fear, however, that boat refugees are part of a 20th century tradition, other such disasterous traditions including hi-jacking and planting hoax bombs.
Political/Logistic problems
Even when a disaster has no immediate political significance (which is seldom) any problem which cross national boundaries is bound to run into practical problems because certain countries or territories keep each other at arms length. As you know from several examples, Vietnamese refugees have involved problems of communications with Taiwan with which few Governments now have diplomatic relations. Agencies within the UN system are also likely to be at a disadvantage when disasters involve places not repre- sented in the UN. Voluntary agencies which are not tied to the UN system are sometimes at a considerable practical advantage. We were certainly grateful that on a number of occasions members of the local ICM office here were able to travel to Taiwan.
These are initial comments and we shall send others if they occur to us. We should be grateful to be included in any correspondence on this subject which you think has some relevance to Hong Kong and to answer specific queries which you might have.
Yous fie..
cc C W Long Esq UKMIS Gva
P Morrice Esq HK&GD FCO
(IC Orr)