CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 30100OZ FCO
TELNO 3598
OF 30090OZ OCTOBER 89
القوات
CONFIDENTIAL
HALISI/I
Lifer
آن
124312
MDHIAN 20493 10
YOUR TELNO 3503: HK AND IVORY TRADE
1. WE APPRECIATE THAT TIME DID NOT PERMIT THE UK RAISING AT CITES THE QUESTION OF AN INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR COMPENSATION OF EXISTING STOCKHOLDERS.
2. THE IDEA REMAINS VALID AND NEEDS TO BE PURSUED, ALBEIT OUTWITH THE 1989 CITES CONFERENCE. IF WE ARE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THIS IDEA IS BEING ACTIVELY PURSUED, THIS WOULD HELP TREMENDOUSLY IN THE FOLLOWING TWO RESPECTS:
(A) HK IVORY TRADERS CLEARLY FEEL UNDER PRESSURE TO LIMIT THEIR FINANCIAL LOSSES BY LIQUIDATING THEIR EXISTING STOCKS. CLEARLY THIS PRESSURE WILL BE SUFFICIENTLY HEAVY TO PERSUADE THEM TO GO UNDER- GROUND IN SOME CASES. AS AN EXAMPLE, FRENCH POSTAL AUTHORITIES RECENTLY RELEASED NEWS OF THEIR DISCOVERY AND BREAKING UP OF AN ILLEGAL IVORY IMPORTING SET-UP IN WHICH CARVED IVORY HAD BEEN SENT BY POST FROM HONG KONG. IF MORE TRADERS OPT FOR SUCH AVENUES, THE CREATION OF NEW UNDERGROUND TRADE CAN ONLY PROMOTE POACHING IN THE RANGE STATES, SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE WISHES TO PREVENT. IF WE ARE ABLE TO POINT TO ACTION IN TERMS OF THE SETTING UP OF AN INTERNATION- AL COMPENSATION FUND, THIS WILL LESSEN THE PRESSURE FOR TRADERS TO CIRCUMVENT CONTROLS: AND
(B) WE ARE ALREADY UNDER CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE FROM THE TRADE TO ENSURE THE LODGING OF A RESERVATION ON THE PART OF HONG KONG WHICH WOULD ALLOW TRADERS A LIMITED TIME TO DISPOSE OF EXISTING STOCKS WHEREVER THEY COULD FIND MARKETS. SUCH A RESERVATION WOULD ALLOW DISPOSAL NOW TO NON-CITES PARTIES (E.G. TAIWAN AND SOUTH KOREA) AND
IMPLEMENT A BAN ALSO TO ANY CITES PARTY THAT WAS NOT INTENDING TO UNTIL 18 JANUARY 1990.
3. CLEARLY WE WOULD RATHER AVOID (B) IF AT ALL POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE UNDESIRABLE PRO-CONSERVATIONIST MEDIA ATTENTION THIS WOULD GENERATE. NEVERTHELESS OUR POSITION WOULD BE DEFENSIBLE ALONG THE FOLLOWING LINES:
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