LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                13. August 1997

PRESS RELEASE 
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM

"WE WILL NOT HESITATE TO CLOSE ALL JAFFNAâS SCHOOLS" -- MILITARY
        A senior Sinhalese military officer has told a meeting of Tamil
        headmasters and teachers in occupied Jaffna that he is ready to
        close down "any or all" of Jaffnaâs schools if teachers ignore
        his tough new directives. Warning that "disobedience would not be
        tolerated" he gave out the military«s new instructions -- "due
        homage must be paid to the Sri Lankan lion flag, and the
        Sinhalese national anthem must be sung daily in classrooms by
        both students and teachers." He added that Tamil teachers and
        students must bare their heads in respect when passing Sinhalese
        military camps or sentry points and that registers of student
        attendance must be submitted by hand to the nearest military camp
        for their perusal; students absent for three days must be
        reported to military officials; no school functions can take
        place without permission from the military or without military
        officials as guests to "grace the occasion". If these orders are
        not followed, he said, "punishment will be drastic, and will be
        an example to others." The officer ended his speech by asking his
        audience to go home and think about these points very carefully.
        
SHAM GOVERNMENT INQUIRY INTO DISAPPEARANCES
        In another blatant insult to Tamil people, the Sri Lankan
        government has appointed military officials to conduct inquiries
        into the 700 disappearances of Tamil people at the hands of the
        Sinhala military in the past two years. Senior Sinhala military
        officers sitting inside Palali camp«s headquarters have the job
        of inquiring into the allegations made against their own army.
        The government«s decision makes a mockery of Tamil people«s grief
        and displays the callousness with which they are treated by the
        Sinhalese establishment. All those wishing to give evidence about
        their cases have been invited to go to the Palali military camp
        but the government knows very well that the Palali camp is
        unapproachable to civilians beyond Tellipallai Junction, even if
        they dared to go further. The government will no doubt claim that
        no persons attended the "inquiry" and therefore suggest that
        disappearances have presumably not occurred in Jaffna.
        
LTTE RELEASES TRADE UNION CHARTER
        A comprehensive charter designed for Tamil Eelam«s trade unions
        has been released by the LTTE«s political division. The document
        combines a workers« charter recognising trade unions as
        legitimate entities possessing the right to strike should
        negotiations fail. The rights of unions are enumerated in the
        manifesto, and compare favourably with similar commitments to
        workers« rights in other countries.
        
KFIR PLANES BOMB THREE TAMIL TOWNS IN A DAY
        Sri Lankan Kfir warplanes struck at three Tamil towns -- Thiriyai
        (Trincomalee), Puliyankulam (Vanni) and Mullaitivu (Vanni) -- on
        Monday. Innocent Tamil civilians were driven to a frenzy trying
        to avoid being bombed. Cattle are reported killed in some places
        and trees in jungle areas have been set on fire during the raids.
        There are thought to be human casualties but reports are awaited.
        One of the bombs which dropped on Mullaitivu failed to explode.
        It is five and a half feet tall and weighs around 250 kilos.
        
SINHALA SOLDIER BEATEN TO DEATH BY SINHALESE SHOP MANAGERS
        A Sinhala soldier guarding a grocery store in Jaffna has been
        beaten to death by the newly-appointed Sinhalese management, who
        are friends and relatives of senior army officials. The lowly
        soldier was on guard duty outside the Stanley Road "Salu Sala"
        shop when the sun became too hot for him and he asked permission
        to stand inside. The Sinhala management -- who were appointed by
        senior Sinhalese military officials -- refused the soldier«s
        request and chased him back outside whereupon the enraged soldier
        flung a grenade inside the shop. Six of the management were
        injured in the blast and had to be taken to Anuradhapura for
        treatment. The soldier was beaten to death by the rest of the
        shop workers.
        
TAMIL CIVILIAN SHOT DEAD
        An innocent Tamil person has died after being hit by random
        gunfire from Sinhala soldiers at Mathar Panikka Mahilankulam
        (Vavuniya). Two other Tamil civilians were wounded in the
        unprovoked assault. They and two innocent by-standers were then
        taken away by the soldiers to an unknown destination. They have
        not been seen since.
        
MAN LOSES HANDS IN ARMY LANDMINE
        V. Joseph (39) lost both his hands below the wrist on Sunday when
        he accidentally fell on a hidden landmine planted in Mullaitivu
        by the Sri Lankan army. Another person, Yogeswaran, was also
        injured in the blast.
        
SOLDIER KILLED - PULIYANKULAM
        A Sinhala soldier was killed in a gunfight with LTTE fighters
        last Thursday as Sri Lankan troops tried to advance to
        Pallayawadai (Puliyankulam). Soldiers had to abort the move as a
        result. One LTTE fighter was killed. The LTTE captured some arms
        and ammunition.

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)