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What about
ODA?
21.
H.M. Ambassador, Bangkok, would welcome the posting of two Hong Kong officers to Thailand for anti-narcotics duties, one at the Embassy in Bangkok and the other attached to the British Consulate in Chiang Mai as a liaison officer with the Thai/ American S.N.O. programme. It is clear that these officers would have a valuable part to play in developing intelligence about drug traffickers in particular which is now largely going by default and which Hong Kong needs. These officers should not have duty titles identifying them with narcotics. It is suggested that the officer posted to the Embassy in Bangkok should also keep abreast of developments in Burma and Laos on behalf of Hong Kong by paying regular visits to our Embassies in thosc countries.
22
H.M. Ambassador is agroeable to making an approach to the Thai Government to express concern at the massive clandestine export of opium products to Hong Kong from Thailand, and in parti- cular about the continuous trawler traffic which conveys this contraband. Intensified Thai action should be requested to break up trawler smuggling. He is of the opinion that the approach should be low-key and should take cognisance of the considerable steps the Thais are taking to put their house in order with a view to stopping opium growth and trafficking. He is further of the view that this approach should be linked with seeking Thai concurrence to the posting of the two officers to Thailand referred to in the previous paragraph since their presence and purpose in Thailand could hardly be concealed. The two officers aside, like Burma and Laos, an approach to the Thai Government along these lines is not going to bear any immediate fruit, but there is nothing to be lost by saying our own piece in an appro- priate manner to Thailand about a serious problem which affects a British Colony.
23.
In order to create a favourable atmosphere for the above, enquiries are now being made in Hong Kong to try to sell about 150 tons of beans produced recently from the crop substitu- tion scheme which are stored in northern Thailand awaiting a purchaser, and also to see whether Hong Kong can find a marketing officer, a cooperatives officer and someone to teach the hill tribesmen terracing all these in connection with the U.N. opium crop substitution project. Apart from the immediate aspect, there is advantage in Hong Kong's position as a major victim territory in identifying itself as closely as possible with U.N. projects aimed at eradicating opium poppy production and to be seen to be lending active assistance to the opium crop substitu- tion programmc.
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