REF.
182
REF.
176
SCR 4/1316/73
Your ref. HK 19/3
SECRET
REGISTRY NO.1 2 NOV 1775
ECLIPSE
ka
R
Colonial Secretariat,
Lower Albert Road, HONG KONG
n.
Wotton
Me disuss
16/11
HKK19/3
Dear Andrew,
9th November 1973
Cooperation over Narcotics
Many thanks for your letter of the 26th
September to Norman Rolph. I have deliberately held up a reply to it until we had had a further opportunity to talk to Chris Train, during last week's visit of the Ad Hoc Committee.
The view expressed in paragraph 8 of Rolph's report about United Kingdom participation in further meetings simply reflected the UK and HK feelings aired by thosepresent at the time.
We should of course welcome United Kingdom participation.
On timing we learned from Train that this approach is very similar to yours. We also agree with you: as things stand now, it would not be in our interest to proceed with any trilateral meetings until the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs has pronounced on the Ad Hoc Committee's recommendations at its next session in February 1974. Anglo-American meetings in Hong Kong inevitably become known to our local press; and at this stage any publicity about exclusive Anglo-American narcotics deliberations in this region could well sour the attitude of the Asian members of the Ad Hoc Committee, causing them to doubt our sincerity.
Moreover vigorous law enforcement action
in Thailand and on adjacent waters this year has so severely disrupted the trawler traffic that today it has virtually stopped according to our intelligence,
So a fact confirmed by the local US Drug Enforcement Administration. there is now less urgency about holding another meeting, anyway from our point of view.
Train said that on his return to London he
would write to Bartels, the new Director of the US Drug Enforcement Administration about all this. No doubt you will wish to discuss with him just what should be said. My only qualm is lest the Americans may think that we are dragging our feet. But you will no doubt be able to convince them that it is wise to hasten slowly and Bartels may anyway need time to find his feet. We shall not volunteer anything about the matter to the Americans here, though we should explain what is in mind if questioned.
A. C, Stuart, Esq, CPM,
Hong Kong and Indian Ocean Department,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
LONDON S. W. 1.
SECRET