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pa
63
056725
4KC 175/1
MDLIAN 1748
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FM CANBERRA
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 403
OF 280608Z JULY 92
см
INFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, JAKARTA, SINGAPORE, HONG KONG, INFO ROUTINE MANILA, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, INFO ROUTINE TOKYO, MODUK, ODA, ACTOR
INFO SAVING BONN, PARIS, THE HAGUE, OSLO, BRASILIA,
YOUR TELNO 206 TO KUALA LUMPUR: PIRACY
SUMMARY
1. AUSTRALIANS RECEPTIVE TO IMO THINKING. EXPECT TO SUPPORT JAKARTA SEMINAR, BUT WANT TO AVOID SINGLING OUT THE SOUTH EAST ASIANS: ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO MAINTAINING THE GLOBAL CONTEXT.
2.
CLARIFICATION REQUESTED OF BRITISH INTERPRETATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW GOVERNING NAVAL ASSISTANCE FOR VESSELS ATTACKED BY PIRATES.
DETAIL
3. WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE DRAFT IMO CIRCULAR ON 'PIRACY AND ARMED ROBBERY AGAINST SHIPS'' WITH DFAT. HERRON (STANDING IN FOR WENSLEY AS HEAD OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND LEGAL DIVISION) SAID THAT THE AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSION IN KL HAD BEEN TASKED TO MONITOR THE IMB SEMINAR THERE ON 28-29 JULY. HE SAID THAT AUSTRALIA WAS RECEPTIVE TO THE IMO THINKING SET OUT IN THE DRAFT IMO CIRCULAR. DFAT THOUGHT IT RIGHT TO BUILD ON EXISTING SAR ARRANGEMENTS. AUSTRALIA SUPPORTED DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE MULTILATERALLY AND HAD DELIBERATELY NOT YET ''WEIGHED IN'' HEAVILY ON A BILATERAL BASIS. HERRON UNDERLINED THE IMPORTANCE AUSTRALIA ATTACHED TO AVOIDING ANY SUGGESTION THAT THE WEST WAS GANGING UP ON THE SOUTH EAST ASIAN NATIONS OVER PIRACY: APPROACHES SHOULD BE MADE UNDER IMO (NOT EG AUSTRALIAN) AUSPICES AND IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT. THERE WERE REGIONAL SENSITIVITIES. SENATOR EVANS HAD MADE SOME PROPOSALS ON MARITIME SURVEILLANCE AT THE RECENT ASEAN PMC (MANILA TELNO 305, PARA 7). THESE DID NOT UNDERCUT, BUT WERE COMPLEMENTARY TO, OTHER ATTEMPTS TO REDUCE PIRACY IN THE REGION (DFAT STILL AWAIT A FULL REPORT ON MANILA EXCHANGES ON THIS SUBJECT).
4.
HERRON CONTINUED THAT IN DFAT'S VIEW THE LEGAL POSITION ON
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