TNAG-0560-FCO40-655-Review-of-narcotics-problem-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 108

CONFIDENTIAL

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GRS3C3

CYPHER/CAT-A-

FM FCO 101453Z

CONFIDENTIAL

TO ROUTINE HONG KONG TELNO 28 OF 18 JANUARY. 1975

FOR COMMISSIONER OF NARCOTICS

1. WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY TRAIN THAT ADRIAN COWELL, A TELEVISION JOURNALIST, MAY VISIT HONG KONG NEXT WEEK. TRAIN, WHO SAW COWELL LAST WEEK, SAID THAT WE WOULD LET YOU KNOW THAT COWELL WAS COMING. YOU MAY ALREADY HAVE HEARD ABOUT HIS IMPENDING VISIT FROM LESTER WOOLF, WHO ACCORDING TO COWELL, INTENDED TO VISIT

HONG KONG EARLY IN JANUARY.

2.

COWELL HAS VISITED THE COLDEN TRIANGLE AREA ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND DURING HIS LAST VISIT THERE MADE A FILM FOR ATV ENTITLED QUOTE THE OPIUM WARLORDS UNQUOTE. THIS WAS SHOWN IN THE UK ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO AND MADE A CONSIDERABLE IMPACT.

3. COWELL HAS RECENTLY VISITED THE UNITED STATES, AT THE INVITATION OF LESTER WOOLF, TO DISCUSS A SUGGESTION BY COWELL THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME PRE-EMPTIVE BUYING OF OPIUM DIRECT FROM THE SHAN STATE ARMY. COWELL HAS NOW ARRANGED. A MEETING BETWEEN SOME OF THE LEADERS OF THE SHAN STATE ARMY, WOOLF AND HIMSELF WHICH WE UNDERSTAND WAS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE THIS WEEK,

4.

WHEN COWELL CALLED TO SEE TRAIN LAST WEEK, HE ASKED WHETHER THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THE SUGGESTION THAT THERE SHOULD BE PRE-EMPTIVE BUYING OF OPIUM. TRAIN WAS NON-COMMITTAL ABOUT HIS PROPOSAL AND EXPLAINED THAT, BECAUSE OF THE OBVIOUS POLITICAL DIFFICULTIES, THE FCO WOULD HAVE TO GIVE ADVICE ON IT.

CONFIDENTIAL

15. WE