TNAG-0417-FCO40-463-Review-of-narcotics-problem-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 125

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P Gregory-Hood Esq

BRITISH EMBASSY

BANGKOK

15 August 1973

RECEIVED IN

REGISTRY No. 14

1973

FAB::

AKK193

IRD

126)

PUSD HVIOD

Ras Bulboel

rei Rishal Or

نعم

19/1

or

tute

South East Asian Department

FCO

Dear Peter

116

THAI/BURLESE RELATIONS AND LO-HSING-HAN

1. Please refer to Rigney's letter of 26 July to Hennessy concerning the capture of Lo-llsing-han (not to all). The Thais not unnaturally made considerable political advantage out of the capture of Lo-Hsing-han. They immediately asked whether any other country wished to extradite him and sub- sequently displayed mock astonishment that the United States, so free with allegations of corruption and so bountiful with information of what was going on in the North of Thailand were not prepared to press charges. In due course, fortunately for the Thais, the Burmese asked for Lo-Hsing-han and he was duly deported.

2. There is some confusion surrounding the precise circum- stances of his capture. The newspapers at the time would have us believe that the BPP stumbled upon him by accident in lae Hong Son and Colonel Chavalit Yodmani, the Secretary of the Narcotics Suppression Committee told me that the Thais were not expecting to find Lo-Hsing-han and did not know of the Burmese operation. They were in the area looking for opium caravans, as part of the more active suppression policy of the last two months. This ought to be true, because if the Thais had planned the arrest one would have thought that they would be anxious to gain the credit for it in which case they would not put out stories that they had arrested him by accident. However more recent press reports tell of BPP disguised as hill tribesmen putting a gun to Lo-Hsing-han's head and kidnapping him from the middle of his men, and claim there was co-operation between the Thais and the Burmese.

3. It is still unclear why Lo-Hsing-han was in Thailand at all. I Consul in Chiang Mai has reported that Lo-Hsing-han was in Thailand begging the CIA for arms and money to fight back against the Communists. The Bangkok press claim he was raising recruits to fight the Burmese Government.

40 If the arrest was fortuitous, and no Thai/Burmese co-operation involved, then it is doubtful whether this confused incident really has any meaning at all in the context of Thai/Burmese relations except perhaps to show that the Thais are now prepared

1

CONFIDENTIAL,

/to