CONFIDENTIAL
FROM:
MISS M A SMITH
DEFENCE SECRETARIAT DIVISION 5
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Main Building Whitehall London SW1A 2HB
Telephone 01-218
PL O'Keefe
01-218 9000
(Direct Dialling) (Switchboard)
hary Arter South x 38, 35 to
Hong Kong and Indian Ocean Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office King Charles Street
SWIA 2AH
RECEIVED W
Your reference/
Our reference
Date
Enter Any Walton
12/12
D/DS5/7/14/75
28
11-75.
16
SDEC1975
AKK 19/1
(133)
not
receur
NARCOTICS:
2.
INTERCEPTION OF THAI TANKERS
Thank you for your letter of 6 August.
We have been preparing a considered reply as you requested, but this has been delayed by:
a. the Hong Kong negotiations which have only recently been concluded and have revealed what RN vessels will be available
in the future.
b.
end.
CAPIC Hong Kong has been considering the problem from his
therefore we are not yet in a position to reply.
3.
In the meanwhile, you may wish to see what CAPIC Hong Kong has reported from a meeting held by the Hong Kong Secretary for Security. During this doubts were raised by the Deputy Commissioner of Police on the legality in Hong Kong of an arrest on the High Seas based on Hong Kong dangerous drugs laws; the Thais have stated, presumably for political reasons, that they will only deal with returned trawler crews for contravening the fishing laws. Doubts were also raised by POLAD on the political wisdom of allowing British Forces to be employed in this way in International Waters.
4. CAPIC Hong Kong has also expressed concern about the legal position of the RN for activities outside Hong Kong Waters, and, if force was to be used, whether individual members of ships companies might be open to civil or criminal action.
5.
We would be grateful for Legal Advice on these points before taking them further.
JW/7
CONFIDENTIAL
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