OLA(67) 1
CONFIDENTIAL
HONG
KONG
VISIT OF OVERSEAS LABOUR ADVISER
11-16 October 1967
Background
Although the flash point of the present disturbed state of Hong Kong was an industrial dispute and, although the Left Wing unions have played a leading part in the disturbances of recent months, it is accepted that the present troubles are political and not social in origin.
It would be wrong, however, to assume from this that the material and social conditions of the Hong Kong working
population have limited relevance to the future problem of stability. The communist leadership in Hong Kong made a profound miscalculation about the temper of the Government of Hong Kong and the reactions of the population. Any
re-assessment by them of the current campaign must lead
almost inevitably to the conclusion that, had the tactics
of disruption been more clearly directed at industrial
and social targets and more directly related to the day-
to-day problems and difficulties of the Hong Kong workers,
much greater success would have been achieved. It would
be optimistic to assume that such a re-assessment is not being made.
2. Nor can the findings of the Commission of Inquiry
into the Kowloon Disturbances be ignored.
"Whilst working conditions have certainly improved, it would appear from the evidence of some of the young people involved in the disturbances that working conditions still leave room for improvement and the long hours spent at unrewarding jobs can be a powerful stimulus in a quest for excitement which often leads to anti-social behaviour. But legislation alone is unlikely to provide a solution to this problem, since the major contributien to the improvement in conditions must come from a continuing growth in our economy and the capital necessary for growth will not be retained in or attracted to Hong Kong unless the rewards for invest- ment are better here than in other places, which can offer greater stability through the existence of a large domestic market and/or a more settled inter- national situation. Nor can we afford to add to these handicaps a threat of internal unrest. In this, the community needs the active co-operation of its young people, Whilst endeavouring to improve their lot, we must also try to make them realise that the efforts of those who strive to better working and
CONFIDENTIAL
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