CONFIDENTIAL
ANGLO/AMERICAN/HONG KONG DISCUSSIONS ABOUT DRUG TRAFFICKING IN THE FAR EAST
AND HONG KONG
VISIT TO HONG KONG 4-9 JUNE 1973
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INTRODUCTION
At the instance of the United States Government a meeting was held in Hong Kong on 7 and 8 June 1973 between officials from Hong Kong, the United States of America aná the United Kingdom to discuss drug trafficking in the Far East with particular reference to Hong Kong, The United Kingdom attended at the request of the United States of America and with the agreement of the Hong Kong Government. I led the United Kingdon delegation and was supported by Commander Huntley (New Scotland Yard) and Mr Jordan (Chief Investigator, Customs and Excise). The Hong Kong delegation was led by Mr N G Rolph, the Commissioner for Narcotics (a relatively new appointment) and their delegation comprised all branches of their law enforcement agencies. Mr John Ingersoll, Director of the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, led the United States delegation. He was supported by a strong contingent from the BNDD, including local representatives, by the Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Consulate in Hong Kong and by State Department officials from the American Embassy in Bangkok, A full list of officials is at Annex B to the note which the Hong Kong Government had prepared for the meeting (Annex 1 to this note).
2.
The United Kingdom delegation arrived in Hong Kong on Wednesday evening 6 June just over 24 hours late because of the break down of our plane in Teheran, Our time was completely taken up with official entertainment and meetings from the moment of our arrival until our departure. The Hong Kong Government were extremely hospitable. There were two full days meetings on Thursday and Friday to consider the agenda prepared by the Hong Kong Government (see Annex 1). Meetings were held in the Central Government Offices which are reasonably close to the hotel in which we were staying, and despite the oppressive heat and humidity of the Hong Kong climate the room where wo net was pleasantly cool.
GENERAL APPRECIATION
3.
Rolph chaired the meetings adequately but without giving the impression of gripping the discussion with any confidence. The meetings were generally amicable and they reached what I believe to be a successful conclusion,
4++ I had the opportunity for informal personal discussions with Rolph and with Ingersoll. I used the discussions with Rolph as an opportunity to consider whether a Hong Kong official should accompany me on the study tour of the United Nations Ad Hoc Committee for the Far East. With Ingersoll. I expressed our doubts about the proposed international conference on the use of science and technology against drug trafficking.
5. The Americans made much of congratulating the Hong Kong Government and Rolph in particular for the initiative which had made the meeting possible; indeed Ingersoll congratulated Rolph for having called it. In fact the initiative for the meeting had come from the Americans themselves and most people around the table were aware of this. Ingersoll told me privately (and I subsequently got him to admit it publicly) that the American concern was primarily with drawing the United Kingdom to their aid in fighting trafficking in South East Asia. They said that they felt it was unreasonable for them to carry the burden alone, and I suspect that they had realised that they had not been successful in the diplomatic initia- | tives which they had taken in various countries, At one point there was some explicit criticism of the United Kingdom's willingness to allow the Hong Kong Government to get
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