CONFIDENTIAL
3
076653
MDHOAN 3221
TOP COPY Q DIST?
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 22003OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 499
OF 211336Z MAY 93
INFO ROUTINE PEKING
FROM HKD
HKCC 3801 RECEIVED
CISTRY
24 MAI 1993
see 2
DESK C
REGISTRY
PA Action Taken
PIRACY: IMO MEETING
1. AT A MEETING HELD IN DOT ON 21 MAY WITH HALL, MARITIME
ADVISER, DRUMMOND OF MARINE DEPARTMENT AND MORRIS, SECURITY BRANCH WE WERE SHOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME
THE PAPER THAT HONG KONG HAVE CIRCULATED IN
ADVANCE OF THE IMO MEETING ON PIRACY NEXT WEEK.
2. MORRIS EXPLAINED THAT HKG FELT THAT THE PAPER SHOULD BE WITHDRAWN SINCE THE ACTIONS BY THE CHINESE OFFICIALS WHICH IT REFERS TO COULD NOT, BY DEFINITION, BE PIRACY. ADDITIONALLY THERE WAS SOME CONCERN THAT THE PAPER COULD THREATEN THE FRUITS OF THE EXCHANGES YOU ARE ALREADY HAVING WITH THE CHINESE ON THIS ISSUE. CONVERSELY, THERE WAS TREMENDOUS PRESS INTEREST IN HONG KONG IN THE ISSUE, AND IT WAS IMPORTANT NOT TO BE SEEN TO BE BEING SOFT ON THE CHINESE.
3. THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT OFFICIALS, WHILE SHARING THESE AIMS FELT THAT WITHDRAWING THE PAPER AT THE MEETING WOULD RAISE ITS PROFILE EVEN MORE. THEY SUGGESTED THAT THE HONG KONG DELEGATE AFTER TALKING ABOUT SECURITY AND PIRACY MATTERS, SHOULD NOT SPEAK TO THE PAPER BUT SAY THAT IT WAS OUT OF DATE AND CONTAINED LEGAL INACCURACIES, WITHOUT FORMALLY WITHDRAWING IT. THE DELEGATE COULD THEN SAY THAT THERE WAS CONCERN AT A NUMBER OF INCIDENTS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AREA AND PARTICULARLY AT THE MANNER IN WHICH INTERCEPTIONS TOOK PLACE AND THEN REFER IN STRICTLY FACTUAL TERMS OF THE EVENTS SINCE LAST SEPTEMBER. THIS HOPEFULLY WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO DEFLECT ANY COMPLAINTS FROM SHIPOWNERS AND OTHERS WITHOUT CREATING A ROW WITH THE CHINESE.
4 -
OUR OWN VIEW IS THAT WE SHOULD SEEK TO WITHDRAW THE PAPER WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING (SCHEDULED FOR 26 JUNE. (IT SHOULD, WE THINK, BE POSSIBLE TO ASK FOR IMO SECRETARIAT TO DO THIS IN A LOW PROFILE MANNER. WE SHALL EXPLORE IF YOU AGREE.) THEN, AT THE
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