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FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE KUALA LUMPUR
TELNO 206
OF 24173OZ JULY 92
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НКС
175/1
052704
MDHOAN 8064
Ma
см
INFO PRIORITY BANGKOK, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, MANILA
INFO PRIORITY TOKYO, MODUK, WASHINGTON, BONN, JAKARTA
INFO PRIORITY CANBERRA, OSLO, THE HAGUE, PARIS, BRASILIA, ODA INFO PRIORITY OTTAWA, SINGAPORE, HONG KONG
53
OUR TELNO 160 TO SINGAPORE: PIRACY
SUMMARY
1.
(IMO)
SIGNS THAT THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANISATION IS NOW READY TO TAKE INITIATIVES ON PIRACY. SOUTH EAST ASIAN STATES AND MAJOR MARITIME NATIONS ARE BEING CONSULTED. POSSIBILITY OF A REGIONAL MEETING IN JAKARTA, BUT THIS WOULD NEED CAREFUL HANDLING AND HAS NOT YET BEEN DISCUSSED WITH STATES IN THE REGION.
DETAIL
2.
ON 23 JULY WE SPOKE AGAIN TO O'NEIL, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE IMO. SINCE OUR INTERVENTION ON 29 JUNE THE IMO HAS BEEN ACTIVE THEY ARE TAKING STEPS TO REINFORCE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS OF MEMBER STATES ABOUT PIRACY AND ARE CONSIDERING INITIATIVES INCLUDING REGIONAL CONFERENCES ON PIRACY. A NUMBER OF LEADING MARITIME COUNTRIES (INCLUDING THE UK) HAVE BEEN CONSULTED ABOUT A DRAFT CIRCULAR AND THE INDONESIAN, MALAYSIAN, SINGAPOREAN AND BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN ASKED FOR THEIR COMMENTS BY THE END OF JULY. (COPY OF DRAFT CIRCULAR BY FAX TO ASEAN POSTS AND BRASILIA AND TO OTHERS BY BAG). THE INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF SHIPPING ARE SUPPORTING THE IMO PROPOSALS.
3.
IN SINGAPORE O'NEIL SPOKE TO TEH, DIRECTOR OF MARINE, WHO CLEARLY WANTED TO PLAY DOWN THE ISSUE OF PIRACY. TEH SAID HE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A MEETING OF SHIPOWNERS IN BRUNEI WHERE PIRACY HAD NOT BEEN RAISED. HE TOLD O'NEIL ABOUT THE DRAFT AGREEMENT BETWEEN SINGAPORE AND INDONESIA ON JOINT PIRACY PATROLS AND REFERRED TO THE RECENT ARREST OF 19 PIRATES BY THE INDONESIAN AUTHORITIES. TEH ALSO TOLD O'NEIL THAT THERE WOULD
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