CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 569

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ANNEX E

I II

STATEMENT BY THE SIMESE DELEGATES TO THE INTERNATIONAL OPIUM CONFERENCE AT THE HAGUE

DECEMBER 1911 to JANUARY, 1912.

567

At the International Opiut Somission of

Shanghai,

in 1909, the Siamese delegates presented a statere nt on the opium question as it affects Siam, accompanied by annexes con- taining statistics, certain Siamese laws, Decrees and Regulations and an extract from a speech of His late Majesty delivered in September 1908,

It appears unnecessary to cover now the same ground. In presenting therefore, for the information of the International Opium Conference, in accordance with their Resolution of December 8th, 1921, a report in writing on the present state of the opiùm traffic in Siam, the delegates for Siam will confine their remarks to the progress made since the date of the Shanghai Commission. They will repeat, however, that Siam has accepted the policy of controlling and ultimately suppressing the vice of opium smoking; but that any action in furtherance of this policy must be gradual, singe it is matter of serious importance to the country they represent. If an attempt were made to put a sudden stop to the sale of opium, the only result would be an increase of smuggling, with an inevitable loss of revenue to the Goverment, w.hile, in fact, the amount of smoking would be hardly affected.

RAW OPIUM. So far as concerns the International supply of opium, Siam may be regarded as a non-producing country.

There is a very small production in the northern hills,

at an elevation of over 1,000 metres, by distant hill

kind tribes for their own nsumption but cultivation of this is hardy within the scope of this Conference since it can not bear comparison with the cultigation in British India, China and BOB other countries. Sugh as it 19, the Sisese Government is prepared to control it.