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THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1978
HONG KONG CONTRIBUTES TO U.N. DRUG CONTROL FUND
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THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS CONTRIBUTED, FOR THE FOURTH CO" JTIVE YEAR, $100,000 TO THE UNITED NATIONS FUND FOR DRUG ABUSE CONTROL (UNFDAC), IN SUPPORT OF THE WORLDWIDE WAR AGAINST DRUGS.
ON BEHALF OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, SIR JAMES MURRAY. THE UNITED KINGDOM'S PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UN OFFICE IN GENEVA, TODAY PRESENTED A CHEQUE FOR $100,000 TO PROFESSOR BROR REXED, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UNFDAC, IN HIS OFFICE IN GENEVA, MR. PETER ÍSAO, COUNSELLOR FOR HONG KONG AFFAIRS IN GENEVA, WAS ALSO PRESENT AT THE BRIEF CEREMONY.
THE PRESENTATION BRINGS THE TOTAL SUM OF MONEY CONTRIBUTED BY HONG KONG TO THE FUND SINCE 1975 TO $400,000, WHICH IS THE LARGEST OF ALL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES AND IS EVEN LARGER THAN THOSE FROM A NUMBER OF DEVELOPED COUNTRIES.
MR. E.I. LEE, COMMISSIONER FOR NARCOTICS, SAID HONG KONG'S CONTINUED CONTRIBUTION TO THE FUND NOT ONLY INDICATES ITS FIRM COMMITMENT TO INTERNATIONAL ACTION AGAINST THE GLOBAL DRUG PROBLEM BUT IS ALSO A TANGIBLE RECOGNITION OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS MADE BY THE UNFDAC SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1971.
+ IN THIS RESPECT, MR. LEE SAID, +WE ARE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE SUPPLY-REDUCTION PROGRAMMES BEING CONDUCTED IN THAILAND, BURMA AND LAOS, AND WE HAVE WATCHED WITH GREAT INTEREST AND ADMIRATION THE ENCOURAGING SIGNS OF SUCCESS DEMONSTRATED BY THE UN/THAI CROP SUBSTITUTION PILOT PROJECT WHICH AIMS AT REPLACING THE TRADITIONAL FARMING OF OPIUM POPPIES IN NORTHWEST THAILAND WITH OTHER CROPS.
+OUR INTEREST IN THESE PROJECTS, JOINTLY FINANCED BY UNFDAC AND THE COUNTRIES CONCERNED, STEMS FROM THEIR LOCATION IN THE SO-CALLED GOLDEN TRIANGLE WHICH IS THE SOURCE OF HONG KONG'S ILLICIT DRUG SUPPLIES,+ HE SAID.
MR. LEE ALSO NOTED WITH APPRECIATION THAT CO-OPERATION BETWEEN DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA IS NOW AT AN UNPRECEDENTEDLY HIGH LEVEL, HELPED AND PROMOTED BY A SERIES OF MEETINGS FINANCED BY THE UNFDAC, AND HELD ANNUALLY IN VARIOUS PLACES WITHIN THE REGION.
BESIDES MAKING A FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE FUND, HONG KONG ALSO MAKES A CONTRIBUTION IN KIND, BY PROVIDING FREE TRAINING FACILITIES FOR ANTI-DRUG PERSONNEL FROM ASIAN COUNTRIES WHO ARE EITHER SPONSORED BY UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES, THE COLOMBO PLAN BUREAU OR BY THEIR OWN GOVERNMENTS. THERE IS A CONTINUAL STREAM OF SUCH TRAINEES THROUGHOUT EACH YEAR AND IN 1977, A TOTAL OF 115 OF THEM WERE ACCOMMODATED.
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