TNAG-0560-FCO40-655-Review-of-narcotics-problem-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 13

布政司署B

BÝ BAG

香港下亞畢道

*** Our Ref.: NS 98/76/98C

* YOUR Ref.:

C.S. 41A

SECRET

COLONIAL SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

RECEIVED

(Temp Secret)

REGISTRY No.52

- 3 APR 1975

24 March 1975

D K TIMMS ESQ

H K & IO Department

F CO

Sew Sund

UN NARCOTICS CONFERENCE

HKKIA/1

R&R.

A

LA

RLI.

Arising from a recommendation made by an

Ad Hoc Committee appointed by the U N Commission on Narcotic Drugs to examine ways and means of furthering and improving international co-operation in the Far East to suppress illicit drug trafficking in the region, a U N sponsored Conference of Operational Heads of National Narcotics Law Enforcement Agencies, Far East Region, was held at Bangkok from 2 to 6 September, 1974. attended.

Hong Kong

2.

At its 26th Session at Geneva in February 1975, the U N Commission on Narcotic Drugs decided to recommend to ECOSOC that a further meeting of Operational Heads should be held in October-November 1975. A verbal understanding reached at the Bangkok meeting was that Laos would host the 1975 conference and Hong Kong the following one in 1976, subject to the agreement of the Governments in both cases. However, we understand that in view of recent political developments the Government of Laos may decline to host the 1975 meeting in which case it is probable that the UN in due course will invite Hong Kong to do so.

3.

Neither the Peoples Republic of China nor Taiwan will be invited to attend so there will be no trouble on that score. Nor is it likely that there will be any Soviet bloc nationals involved, e.g. from ESCAP or other U N agencies. A distinct possibility however is that General Kham Hou Boussarath, the Head of the Laos Narcotics Bureau may be replaced in the near future, in which case the Laotian delegation might have as its Head a Pathet Lao. Vientiane may like to comment on this possibility, but even if things did turn out that way, I doubt whether it would be too embarrassing for Hong Kong to act as host provided the basic elements of the coalition in Laos continue.

SECRET

-/2 . .