XN000022-1976-07-27 — Page 6

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TUESDAY, JULY 27, 1976.

INCREASING INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION IN FIGHT AGAINST

NARCOTICS ***

THE COMMISSIONER FOR NARCOTICS, MR. E.I. LEE, TODAY EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE NARCOTICS PROBLEM IN HONG KONG.

SPEAKING AT THE CANADIAN CLUB'S LUNCHEON MEETING, HE SAID THAT A LEADING LOCAL MAGAZINE HAD RECENTLY DESCRIBED THE TASK OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-NARCOTICS POLICIES AS A +MISSION IMPOSSIBLE+.

HOWEVER, MR. LEE ADDED THAT HE DID NOT SUBSCRIBE IN ANY WAY TO SUCH DEFEATISM+.

+ I TAKE COMFORT FROM THE FACT THAT IN MANY FIELDS OF HUMAN ENDEAVOUR, SO MUCH WHICH, NOT SO LONG AGO, WAS DESCRIBED AS IMPOSSIBLE, HAS NOW BEEN ACHIEVED, HE SAID.

HE SAID COUNTRIES ALL OVER SOUTHEAST ASIA, EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA WERE NOW PAYING AN INCREASING INTEREST TO INTRA-REGIONAL AND INTER-REGIONAL CO-OPERATION.

+THE INCREASING WILLINGNESS AND DESIRE OF THESE COUNTRIES TO COME TOGETHER AND CO-OPERATE INTERNATIONALLY IS DUE, IN LARGE PART, TO DOMESTIC PRESSURES AND COMPULSIONS, MR. LEE SAID,

HE SAID BIG CITIES AND POPULATED AREAS OF EUROPE AND SOUTHEAST ASIA WERE NOW MENACED BY THE MUSHROOMING GROWTH OF NARCOTICS ADDICTION AND THE GOVERNMENTS HAD NOW REALISED THAT DRUG ABUSE REPRESENTED A GROWING THREAT TO THE FABRIC OF THEIR SOCIETIES.

AS EVIDENCE OF THE GROWTH OF INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION, MR. LEE LISTED A NUMBER OF MAJOR EVENTS WHICH OCCURRED DURING THE PAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS.

THESE INCLUDED THE ANNUAL MEETING OF OPERATIONAL HEADS OF NATIONAL NARCOTICS BUREAUX, THE APPOINTMENTS OF A UNITED NATIONS NARCOTICS LIAISON OFFICER AND AN INTERPOL REGIONAL NARCOTICS LIAISON OFFICER TO BANGKOK, THE POSTINGS OF HONG KONG POLICE OFFICERS TO BANGKOK, PARIS AND LONDON, AND THE RECENT JOINT MEETING IN CHIANG MAI OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS FROM EUROPE AND SOUTHEAST ASIA.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THESE DEVELOPMENTS, WHICH STARTED IN THE FIELD OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, WERE NOW SPREADING TO THE LINKED AREAS OF TREATMENT, REHABILITATION AND PREVENTION OF DRUG ABUSE.

TALKING ABOUT ANTI-NARCOTICS WORK IN HONG KONG, THE COMMISSIONER FOR NARCOTICS SAID THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS HAD RECENTLY ADOPTED A NEW STRATEGY IN THE FIELD OF PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY.

/HE SAID