FROM: PAUL FIFOOT
DEPUTY LEGAL ADVISER DATE : 16 APRIL 1986
Mr Barton, HKD
HONG KONG : ILLEGAL BETTING SYNDICATE
1.
I think you should take the advice of Consular Department since this is to a great extent a matter of protecting their policy and practice. The point at issue is whether action such as suggested in para 2 of Hong Kong telno 1094 would be consistent with our own policy of objecting to the officials of other countries witholding or confiscating British passports. (13
2.
Subject to Consular Department's views, my own instinctive reaction is that para 2 does safeguard our position since Hong Kong proposes that our authorities only act on written instructions (one would have preferred the word "request") from the Mauritian Government.
3.
Mr Crowson's telegram (Port Louis telne
was presumably written in ignorance of the fact that the ICAC already had custody of the Mauritian passports. He was, perhaps, thinking of some police officer being in a position to assist the Consul physically to seize them. There would appear to be no likelihood of that arising.
Palk for
Paul Fifoot
м масове
M M
minute
(NTD) CLSIO
cc M Brown, EAD fi,
I believe this is
your urgent advice
Days Barlz.
DJ BARTON ико
171086
muse for aro
than Consular Dep't. Gratêfül för
нин Har zasti.
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2 1 APR 1986
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