TNAG-2130-FCO40-3045-Hong-Kong-and-the-ivory-trade-1990 — Page 3

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HKC Bill (52

043335

MDHOAN 4637

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FM FCO

TO

IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 519

OF 08133OZ MARCH 90

(29)

YOUR TELNO 839: IVORY: PQS

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-

RECEIVED IN

12 MAR 1990

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUICK REPLY.

OF POINTS WHICH WE NEED TO CLARIFIY

HOLDING REPLIES.

"TRY

THERE ARE, HOWEVER, A COUPLE AND WE HAVE THEREFORE PUT IN

2.

ON QUESTION NUMBER 1451, PARA 4 OF YOUR TELNO 288 DOES NOT GIVE AN ANSWER TO THE SOURCE OF THE IVORY WITHOUT CITES DOCUMENTS. WE PRESUME, SINCE THERE ARE NO DOCUMENTS, THAT WE CANNOT TELL WHAT THE SOURCES WERE BUT WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR CONFIRMATION THAT THE FOLLOWING PROPOSED ANSWER IS FACTUALLY ACCURATE AND ACCEPTABLE TO YOU.

QUOTE THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES HAVE INSPECTED ALL THE IVORY STOCKS ON THE TERRITORY. THEY HAVE FOUND NO EVIDENCE THAT THE STOCKS WERE ILLEGALLY ACQUIRED. SINCE THESE STOCKS DO NOT HAVE CITES DOCUMENTATION IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SAY WHERE THEY ORIGINATED FROM. I REPEAT HOWEVER THAT NO STOCKS WITHOUT CITES DOCUMENTATION MAY BE EXPORTED FROM HONG KONG. UNQUOTE.

3. QUESTION 1452 IS NOT VERY CLEAR BUT WE CONSIDER THAT WE SHOULD ANSWER IT ON THE BASIS THAT (A) REFERS TO THE 116 TONNES THAT DOES NOT HAVE CITES CERTIFICATES. ON (B) WE INTEND TO GIVE THE STANDARD RESPONSE. ON THIS BASIS WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR CONFIRMATION THAT THE FOLLOWING PROPOSED REPLY IS FACTUALLY ACCURATE AND ACCEPTABLE TO YOU.

QUOTE THERE ARE 116 TONNES OF IVORY STOCKS IN HONG KONG WHICH DO NOT HAVE CITES DOCUMENTATION. HOWEVER, FOR CONTROL PURPOSES AND INACCORDANCE WITH LEGISLATION REQUIRING LICENCES FOR ALL STOCKS OF IVORY WEIGHING MORE THAN 5 KILOGRAMMES, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REQUIRE THAT ALL TUSKS AND LARGE CUT PIECES OF RAW IVORY ARE IDENTIFIED. NO IVORY WHICH DOES NOT HAVE CITES DOCUMENTATION MAY BE EXPORTED FROM HONG KONG.

THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES HAVE INSPECTED ALL THE IVORY STOCKS IN

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