SECRET/ECLIPSE
Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1
N G Rolph Esq
Commissioner for Narcotics
HONG KONG
Telephone 01-
N
fele
152
Your reference
Our reference
Date
HKK 19/3
26 September 1973
LAST
R!
131
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- Dear Noman,
CO-OFERATION OVER NARCOTICS
1.
REF.
Many thanks for your letter of 4 September.
I have now
had the chance to talk about the whole problem with Chris Train of the Home Office and received his written and verbal account of his visit to Hong Kong. I am sorry this did not happen earlier, but first he was on leave and then I was.
2.
Perhaps the most immediate problem arising from your discussions is the proposal for further tripartite or bilateral meetings with the Americans. In paragraph 8 of your report you said you thought there might be little to be gained by involving the United Kingdom. But the US Drug Enforcement Administration have since made it very clear that one of their main aims, for political reasons, is still to keep HMG involved. I think we must go along with this and at least be prepared to meet on a tripartite basis if the Americans insist. As you know, the UN Ad Hoc Committee will be undertaking its Far Eastern tour shortly, and Train is going. It would perhaps be worth considering a trilateral meeting after the Ad Hoc Committee has reported. Such a meeting might define future strategy in the light of the conclusions of the UN Committee. This should have presentational advantages.
3. We do not see much need for a formalised two-tier structure. If the Americans try to press this, perhaps we could seek some kind of compromise.
4.
Another important problem is the trawlers. There might certainly be merit in Naval patrolling south of the Lema Islands even if they did not board the trawlers. But it would presumably be very much a second best to search and capture (if this was possible). If the trawlers took the patrol seriously they would presumably divert to another route, where
/they
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