TNAG-2129-FCO40-3044-Hong-Kong-and-the-ivory-trade-1990 — Page 50

CONFIDENTIAL

638

041213 MDHOAN 1600

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 211

OF 221255Z JANUARY 90

ARY

HKCISII

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

FFICER

AN 1990

REGISTRY

Action Taken

JUP

Q DIST ?

た

Jie (14

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM PAUL, HKD

YOUR TELNO 288: HONG KONG AND THE IVORY TRADE

1. I WAS SOMEWHAT CONCERNED, AS I AM SURE MINISTERS WILL BE, TO SEE THAT THE FIGURES IN TUR FOR THE AMOUNT OF IVORY STOCKS CURRENTLY HELD IN HONG KONG DO NOT TALLY WITH THOSE WHICH WE HAVE BEEN USING FOR MANY MONTHS AND WHICH APPEAR IN THE PRESS RELEASE WHICH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PUT OUT LAST WEEK.

2. THE FIGURE WHICH WE HAVE BEEN USING IS 670 TONNES AND YOUR PRESS RELEASE SPEAKS OF 600 TONNES. BUT THE LATEST STATISTICS ABOUT ACTUAL STOCK REGISTERED (JANUARY 1990) AMOUNT TO 474 TONNES (107 TONNES OF TUSKS, 217 TONNES OF CUT PIECES/SCRAPS AND 150 TONNES OF WORKED IVORY).

3. THE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE FIGURES WILL INEVITABLY LEAD TO ALLEGATIONS HERE THAT THE BALANCE HAS SIMPLY GONE UNDERGROUND AND WILL PROVIDE SUSPICIONS THAT TRADERS WILL BE USING THE 6 MONTH EXEMPTION AS A SMOKESCREEN BEHIND WHICH TO DISPOSE OF MORE OF THEIR STOCKS IN THIS WAY.

4. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD ASK YOUR EXPERTS TO HAVE ANOTHER LOOK AT THESE FIGURES AND SEE IF THEY CAN PROVIDE A MORE CONVINCING EXPLANATION OF THE DISCREPANCY OR, BETTER STILL, ELIMINATE THE DISCREPANCY ALTOGETHER. I AM ANXIOUS TO AVOID GIVING CRITICS OF THE RESERVATION AND OF HONG KONG'S POLICY ON IVORY THE OPORTUNITY TO EXPLOIT THIS.

HURD

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

23

LIMITED

HKD

MAED

NNNN

DISTRIBUTION

23

PAGE

MR MCLAREN

MR GILLMORE

MR BAINE

1

CONFIDENTIAL