TNAG-0415-FCO40-461-Review-of-narcotics-problem-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 130

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trawler traffic. Mr Stuart said that if it turned out that

the Americans had intelligence on trawlers carrying drugs, but that they could not get them arrested in Thai waters because of corruption and if interception on the high seas proved impracticable, it might be possible to consider surveillance on the lines of the recent Irish arms cargo, followed by arrest of the trawler or its attendant junks on entering Hong Kong

territorial waters. This would be better than the present needle in a haystack methods. A liaison officer in our embassy

in Bangkok could play a useful role in such a co-operative

exercise.

7. Mr Stuart then asked Mr Train if he thought there would be any difficulties over a Hong Kong adviser sitting with the UK representative on the ad hoc committee, and pointed out that there was already a precedent for this whereby Hong Kong representatives were attached to UK delegations on certain trade

and financial bodies, eg GATT. Mr Train said that there were

certain difficulties that must be reviewed. When formation of

the ad hoc committee for the Far East had been discussed, Indonesia had questioned why there was any need for a European country to be nominated. Mr Train went on to mention that

Sweden had been invited on the ad hoc committee on narcotics

for the Near East as an uncommitted nation and that the UK was

being similarly invited as an uncommitted member to hold the

ring. We must, therefore, make clear our interest in Hong Kong and give serious consideration as to how a Hong Kong adviser or representative might affect the function of the UK representative. Mr Stuart asked if there would be any difficulty in taking soundings in the capital of other members of the ad hoc committee

on this particular point. Mr Train was doubtful if this suggestion would be a starter and thought that the Hong Kong interest would in any case get full exposure. Mr Wenban-Smith said that the main requirement was that the Hong Kong point of view should be represented on the UN sub-commission, if and when one was established. If we insisted on a Hong Kong representative being attached to the preliminary ad hoc committee, the other

/members

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