TNAG-2129-FCO40-3044-Hong-Kong-and-the-ivory-trade-1990 — Page 92

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 15080OZ FCO

TELNO 173

OF 1503OOZ JANUARY 90

CONEIDENTIAL

HKC151/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

17 JAN 1990P/COPY

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

DIST?

015111 MDHIAN 2485

17

FOR PRIVATE SECRETARY FROM PRIVATE SECRETARY

HONG KONG AND THE IVORY TRADE

1 THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS SEEN MR PATTEN'S MINUTE OF 12 JANUARY. HE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD SEND THE FOLLOWING MINUTE IN REPLY, COPYING TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE CABINET SECRETARY. PLEASE ALSO MAKE SURE NO. 10 HAVE A COPY OF MR PATTEN'S LETTER OF 12 JANUARY. I WILL TRY TO SPEAK TO POWELL MYSELF ON MONDAY.

BEGINS

THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTER OF 12 JANUARY, WHICH HAS REACHED ME HERE IN HONG KONG.

I HAVE DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH THOSE RESPONSIBLE HERE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE IVORY BAN. THEY ARE PLANNING COMPREHENSIVE LEGISLATION AND ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE HONG KONG LEGISLATURE WILL HAVE A MAJORITY TO ADOPT IT.

THEY ARE EQUALLY CLEAR THAT, WITHOUT A SIX MONTH MORATORIUM, THE LEGISLATURE WILL SIMPLY REFUSE TO IMPLEMENT THE NECESSARY LEGISLATION. I THEREFORE SEE NO ALTERNATIVE TO OUR ENTERING A RESERVATION. AT THE SAME TIME, THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG WOULD MAKE A FIRM PUBLIC STATEMENT SAYING THAT IMPORTS OF IVORY WOULD BE BANNED IMMEDIATELY, SETTING OUT THE VERY STRICT REGIME WHICH WILL APPLY WHEN THE BAN IS IMPLEMENTED AND MAKING CLEAR THAT, IN THE MEANTIME, IVORY WILL BE EXPORTED ONLY TO THOSE COUNTRIES (MOSTLY IN ASIA) WHICH ARE NOT PARTIES TO THE BAN.

I AGREE THE PUBLIC HANDLING WILL NOT BE EASY BUT WE HAVE A PERFECTLY GOOD CASE TO MAKE, NAMELY THAT HONG KONG, THE WORLD'S LARGEST MARKET FOR IVORY, HAS ACCEPTED THE BAN, AND THAT THIS REPRESENTS A MAJOR ADVANCE. BECAUSE SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE MAKE THEIR LIVING FROM CARVING, THEY NEED A FEW MONTHS IN WHICH TO ADAPT. IT IS BETTER TO ALLOW A FEW MONTHS ADAPTATION AND THEN HAVE THE WHOLE-HEARTED SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG IN

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