CONFID
J
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AL
J Chick Esq RANGOON
Telephone 01-
Your reference
Our reference
Date
27 January 1975
15
(5
дова,
Dear John,
DRUGS AND THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE
1.
D. This is O.K.
Abs
29/1
Adrian Cowell, the journalist who made the film "The Opium Warlords", called on Train of the mome Office recently. Cowell gave him some notes on the Shan State Army and the opium trade in the Golden Triangle, which contain detailed and interesting information. I enclose a copy of these, and I am also sending copies of the notes to the Chanceries at Vientiane and Bangkok and to HM Consul at Chiang Mai.
In his telegram No 9 of 21 January the Ambassador says that he would be relieved to hear that Cowell's proposals are not going to be pursued. At a meeting in the Office on
2.
2
9 January attended by Train, it was agreed that we should stay clear of plans for pre-emptive buying and that the Americans were most unlikely to find the idea any more attractive than previously. It was decided that, in the telegram of 10 January which you will have seen, it should be made clear to Hong Kong that we regard the idea of pre-emptive buying as politically impossible, and that the meeting with Cowell would be primarily to gain information. Train agreed to discuss our doubts with Rolph at the meeting of the UN Narcotics Commission in Geneva, and to try and dissuade him from pressing for action that was likely to offend the Burmese.
Your ever
Hugh Matherson
HD MacPherson
South East Asian Department
cc: C J Train Esq, Home Office
HKIOD
CONFIDENTIAL