TNAG-2531-FCO40-3701-Hong-Kong-shipping-matters-1997 — Page 100

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160336

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HKC 175/1

MDHOAN 6634

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FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE SINGAPORE

TELNO 160

OF 30180OZ JUNE 92

CM

AND TO IMMEDIATE JAKARTA, HONG KONG, CANBERRA

INFO PRIORITY BANGKOK, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, MANILA

INFO PRIORITY KUALA LUMPUR, TOKYO, MODUK, WASHINGTON, BONN INFO PRIORITY OSLO, THE HAGUE, PARIS, BRASILIA, ODA INFO PRIORITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT, HKGOV LONDON INFO PRIORITY OTTAWA

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MR

/NR

YOUR TELNO 209, HONG KONG TELNO 1724 AND JAKARTA TELNO 336 PIRACY IN SE ASIAN WATERS

SUMMARY

1.

MR W O'NEIL, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANISATION (IMO) AGREES THAT IMO HAS A CENTRAL ROLE TO PLAY IN COMBATTING PIRACY. BUT HAS FEW CLEAR IDEAS ON HOW TO TAKE THIS FORWARD. HE WILL RAISE PIRACY IN SINGAPORE AND AUSTRALIA. WE WILL FOLLOW UP ON HIS RETURN.

DETAIL

2.

THANK YOU AND OTHER ADDRESSEES FOR YOUR HELPFUL RESPONSES.

3. IN A MEETING WITH O'NEIL ON 29 JUNE WE OUTLINED OUR CONCERNS. WE SUGGESTED THAT THE IMO SHOULD EXAMINE THE SCALE OF THE PROBLEM OF PIRACY AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

4. O'NEIL AGREED THAT THE SITUATION WAS SERIOUS AND THAT THE IMO WAS BEST PLACED TO TAKE MATTERS FORWARD. BUT HE SAID IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DEFINE THE SCALE OF THE PROBLEM. INFORMATION ON ATTACKS WAS PATCHY AND UNRELIABLE. THERE HAD BEEN TWO IMO ASSEMBLY RESOLUTIONS EXHORTING MEMBER STATES TO COMBAT PIRACY. THESE HAD HAD LITTLE PRACTICAL EFFECT. HE HAD WRITTEN TO STATES IN SOUTH EAST ASIA, WEST AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA ON 15 MAY 1992 ABOUT THE GENERAL PROBLEM AND HE HAD RAISED THE

QUESTION IN HIS CONTACTS WITH GOVERNMENTS INCLUDING SINGAPORE AND INDONESIA. HE HAD RECEIVED SYMPATHETIC HEARINGS. BUT THERE HAD BEEN LITTLE EFFECTIVE ACTION. O'NEIL SAID THAT THE

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