CONFIDENTIAL
Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1
D R Marsh Esq
DS5
Ministry of Defence'
Main Building
REF.
Telephone 01-
133)
Your reference DS5/7/14/75
Our reference
117) (161)
Date
HKK 19/1
6 August 1975
130/6
(127)
NARCOTICS:
1.
Dear Morsh
INTERCEPTION OF THAI TRAWLERS
In my letter of 3 July about interception of Thai trawlers on the high seas I asked for your reactions to a proposal that a Thai official be put on board a trawler from a Royal Naval vessel. A further meeting was held in the FCO on 24 July to consider in greater detail how the scheme might operate. I enclose a copy of the record of this meeting.
2.
In the light of the preliminary views set out in your letter of 21 July, we have consulted our Legal Advisers who consider that from the standpoint of the Law of the Sea, there would be no difficulty about using Royal Naval vessels to put Thai police on board trawlers registered in Thailand when such vessels were on the high seas. There thus would appear to be no prima facie legal obstacle to pressing ahead with this scheme although, as you have pointed out in your letter, an agreement, possibly of an informal nature, will have to be drawn up with the Thai Government.
3.
We should now be grateful for your considered views on those aspects of the scheme that would involve the Royal Navy. The Royal Naval role seems to us to centre on two aspects:
CC
(i)
(ii)
the initial stopping and boarding of the vessel (paras. 7-9 of the record of the meeting);
arrangements for returning the trawlers and crew to Thailand and the disposal of drugs (paras. 10-11).
Yours sincerely
havemence
semence Musk Милы
PL O'Keeffe
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.
E I Lee Esq, Commissioner for Narcotics, Hong Kong
P Law Esq, BANGKOK
G I de Deney Esq, H3 Division, Home Office, Romney House