IMMEDIARE
CYPHER CAT A
CONFIDENTIAL
(8)
FM FCO 011112Z
CONFIDENTIAL
1973
TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 33 OF 1 FEB/INFO PRIORITY HONG
KONG AND WASHINGTON ROUTINE TO UKMIS NEW YORK
YOUR TELEGRAMS NOS 47 AND 48.
UN COMMISSION ON NARCOTIC DRUGS,
1. AS WE UNDERSTAND IT, THE AMERICANS HAVE TWO MAIN OBJECTIVES:
A) TO TIE UP THE SUB-COMMISSION FOR THE WEAR AND MIDDLE EAST AND,
IN ORDER TO DO SO, TO SET UP ANOTHER AD HOC COMMITTEE LOOKING INTO .
OTHER AREAS SO THAT THE TURKS DO NOT FEEL LONELY (WASHINGTON TELIJO, 251, PARACKAPH 4 AND YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 32 PARAGRAPH 4):
B) TO IMPROVE CONTROL OF ILLICIT DRUG TRAFFICKING IN SOUTH EAST
ASIA:
OF THESE, WE HAVE ALREADY ACCEPTED (A) AND WE FULLY SHARE B) 2. IF THE SUP-COMMISSION IS TO BE EFFECTIVE, HONG KONG WILL NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN SOME WAY (CF. PARAGRAPH 1 OF HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO.
116). BUT WE ARE SURPRISED AT APPARENT AMERICAN BELIEF THAT HONG KONG COULD EVENTUALLY JOIN THE SUB-COMMISSION IN ITS OWN RIGHT (PARAGRAPH 2 OF YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 47). WE DO NOT (NOT) THINK THAT
THIS IS A STARTER AND WOULD NOT WISH TO BECOME INVOLVED IN PLOYS
DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE IT. WE ARE THEREFORE LEFT WITH POSSIBILITIES FOR
LOOKING AFTER HONG KONG'S INTERESTS IN THIS FIELD BY MEANS OF UK
PARTICIPATION.
3. THE COMMITTEE WOULD PRESUMABLY CONSIST OF A SMALL NUMBER OF SINGLE REPRESENTATIVES MEETING AND TRAVELLING IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT THEIR REMIT, WHILE THE SUB-COMMISSION COULD EXPECT TO HOLD PERIODIC MEETINGS ATTENDED BY RATHER LARGER DELEGATIONS. IT SHOULD THEREFORE DE POSSIBLE FOR A HONG KONG ADVISER TO ATTEND THE LATTER EVEN IF HOT (NOT) THE FORMER. HOWEVER, THE COMMITTEE WOULD NEED TO ACQUA INT THEMSELVES WITH HONG KONG'S PROBLEMS, EITHER BY VISITING THE COLONY OR, PREFERABLY, BY INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS ELSEWHERE WITH HONG KONG REPACJENTATIVES. IN THIS CONNEXION WE ALSO NEED TO BEAR IN MIND TIMAT IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE UK (AND THUS HONG KONG) TO BE REPRESENTED ON THE SUB-CO.MISSION IF WE HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY
BEEN A MEMBER OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE.
CONFIDENTIAL
44. IN THE