TNAG-2897-FCO40-4171-Hong-Kong-piracy-in-the-South-China-Sea-1993 — Page 6

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

8

105714

MDHIAN 2241

HKCC 380/

RECEIVED!

26 MA. 1993

ISTRY

REGISTR PA Action Tal

TOP COPY

TO DESKBY 260800Z FCO

TELNO 846

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OF 260705Z MAY 93

INDEX

INFO ROUTINE PEKING

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MIPT: SPEAKING NOTE: INCIDENTS REPORTED TO HONG KONG

INTRODUCTION

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1. THE REASON WE HAVE WITHDRAWN DOCUMENT MSC 62/15/2 IS TO ENABLE ME TO CORRECT AND UPDATE THE INFORMATION IT CONTAINS' BY MAKING AN ORAL PRESENTATION TO YOU TODAY IN ACCORDANCE WITH ACTION RECOMMENDED UNDER MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE CIRCULAR 597.

2. I BELIEVE THAT THE BEST WAY TO CLARIFY THE SITUATION IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AROUND HONG KONG IS TO DESCRIBE INCIDENTS INVOLVING MERCHANT SHIPS WHICH HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO THE HONG KONG MARINE RESCUE CO-ORDINATION CENTRE (HK MRCC).

REPORTED INCIDENTS

3. THIRTY SIX INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO HK MRCC SINCE 15 SEPTEMBER 1992. THEY RANGE FROM ACTS WHICH WOULD APPEAR TO AMOUNT TO PIRACY, OR AT LEAST ARMED ROBBERY, TO INCIDENTS INVOLVING THE EXERCISE OF JURISDICTION BY OFFICIAL VESSELS WITHIN THEIR OWN WATERS. IN SOME INCIDENTS REPORTED IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER THE INTERCEPTING VESSELS HAVE BEEN UNMARKED OFFICIAL VESSELS OR PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS MASQUERADING AS OFFICIALS. THERE HAVE BEEN TEN INCIDENTS OF THIS KIND.

4. THE NUMBER OF CASES OF PIRACY REPORTED TO US WOULD APPEAR TO BE RELATIVELY SMALL. THE VAST MAJORITY OF VESSELS ENTERING AND LEAVING HONG KONG DO SO UNHINDERED.

5. HOWEVER, A WORRYING CHARACTERISTIC OF MANY OF THE INCIDENTS REPORTED TO US IS THE DEGREE OF FORCE INVOLVED. FIREARMS HAVE BEEN USED IN 12 CASES, AND THE USE OF ROCKET PROPELLED GRENADES HAS BEEN REPORTED. REPORTS ALSO INDICATE THAT MANOEUVRING OF SMALL VESSELS CLOSE TO LARGER MERCHANT VESSELS UNDER WAY HAS CREATED RISKS OF COLLISION. THE DANGER INHERENT IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE OBVIOUS.

HONG KONG'S RESPONSE

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CONFIDENTIAL