LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                29. April 1997


PRESS RELEASE
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM

SRI LANKA LOSING HOLD IN EAST
	LTTE forces yesterday intercepted a Sri Lankan army patrol in an
	occupied part of Trincomallee, killing 22 soldiers. The remaining
	soldiers fled leaving behind a stock of arms and ammunition. The
	patrol had been travelling from 10th Mile Post to Pulmoddai town.
	Army reinforcements were later successfully repulsed by the LTTE,
	who lost two fighters. The Sri Lankan army is fast losing control
	of much of the east as LTTE strength continues to grow in leaps.
	
	In another incident yesterday, LTTE forces overpowered a
	paramilitary sentry point in Trincomallee. Six paramilitary
	police lost their lives. The sentry point was located just 150
	metres from the Thopur army camp. One LTTE member died in the
	attack.

MISSING TOLL RISES IN ARMY-OCCUPIED TAMIL TERRITORY
	Round-ups and arrests of Tamils are increasing in areas under Sri
	Lankan military occupation. Below are details of Tamil civilians
	gone missing after arbitrary arrest in the past couple of weeks.
	Relatives in all cases have been told by military officials that
	no such persons have been arrested.

	MISSING PERSON		AGE	GENDER	CIRCUMSTANCES OF ARREST 

1. 	Mylvaganam
	Tharmini			19	female	STF round-up of Thirukovil 
                                                                                                
2. 	Rasiah
	Rudrakumar			23	male	STF round-up of Thirukovil

3. 	Kumaranayagam		23	male	STF round-up of Thirukovil
	Rajanayagam

4. 	Visvalingam			-	male	STF round-up of Thirukovil       
    Kulendrarajah

5. 	Kathiragamathamby
    Ariyaratnam			53	male	STF round-up of Thirukovil

6. 	Poopalasingam		-	male	STF round-up of Thirukovil
    Kopalasingam

7. 	M. Ratheeswaran		16	male	Army round-up of Kumburumunai

8. 	A. Palakan			19	male	Army round-up of Kumburumunai

9. 	I. Inparajah		19	male	Army round-up of Kumburumunai


SRI LANKAN NAVY KILLS TAMIL FISHERMAN
	A Tamil man was on Sunday shot dead by the Sri Lankan navy while
	he was fishing along the coast of Mannar. Muthiah Krishnan (36)
	was an inmate of the UNHCR-run refugee camp in Mannar district.
	It is yet to be seen whether any official action is taken by the
	agency on behalf of the murdered fisherman. The Sri Lankan navy
	routinely fires on Tamil fishermen, even those remaining close to
	the coast.

OCCUPYING FORCES IN JAFFNA IMPOSE BANANA BAN
	The Sri Lankan military has banned Tamils in Valigamam North (in
	the Jaffna peninsula) from growing bananas. Bananas are a major
	crop in this particular district. The ban - like many similar
	restrictions - makes a mockery of the government's assurance to
	the international community that it plans to "rehabilitate"
	Jaffna. The ban also confirms - to those naive enough to still
	doubt it - that the Sinhala government and its military forces
	are acting out of contempt for the Tamil people, and not with a
	view to liberating them.

TWO KILLED IN ARMY REPRISAL
	The Sri Lankan armed forces on Saturday shot and killed two
	innocent Tamil civilians in Valaichchenai (Batticaloa).
	Pakianathan Shankar (20) from Kannakipuram and Velupillai
	Suthakar (20) from Puthukudiyiruppu were killed in revenge for an
	earlier attack on the army by the LTTE.
	
Political Committee,
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

(English translation of the LTTE statement released by
LTTE International Secretariat, 211 Katherine Road, London E6 1BU,
United Kingdom. Tel:0181- 503 4294 / Fax: 0181-470 8593)