LTTE Headquarters,
											Tamil Eelam.
											14.August 1997

PRESS RELEASE
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM						

HEADS OF THREE LEADING JAFFNA SCHOOLS ARRESTED
	The Sinhala military occupying Tamil Jaffna has arrested three heads of
	prominent schools, in its latest attempt to disrupt education in the peninsula.
	Troops were recently sent in to arrest the vice principal of Point Pedro Hartley
	College - a leading educationalist - and the heads of two other important
	schools in Vadamaradchy. It is clearly a systematic crackdown on the Tamil
	educational establishment in Jaffna by the Sinhalese military, showing that the
	military's initial "facade" of having decent intentions has washed off
	completely.
	
ARMY'S RANDOM GUNFIRE CAUSES INJURIES
	Random gunfire from Sinhala military camps in Tamil territory is becoming
	increasingly frequent and causing extensive injury to Tamil civilians. For no
	apparent reason, troops blast gunshots onto people's houses and at passers-by.
	The practice is most common in Batticaloa, where T. Thurairaj (68) was badly
	hurt by bullets fired from the Sivananda Vidyasalai sentry point last Monday. He
	is presently in Batticaloa hospital.
	
DETAILS KNOWN OF DEAD AND WOUNDED CIVILIANS
	Details of the Tamil father of four who was killed in Mathar Panikkar
	Mahilankulam (Vavuniya) by random fire from a Sinhala army unit are now
	available. He is Chelliah Navaratnarasa aged 36. The two others wounded and
	taken away by Sinhala soldiers are Kanapthipillai Thavam (23) and Santhan (26).
	Nothing is yet known of their whereabouts.
	
TWO TAMIL CIVILIANS CRITICAL
	Two Tamil civilians are in a critical condition after being shot by Sinhala
	soldiers while the two went to inspect their former homes in Uruthipuram
	(Kilinochchi). The civilians marginally escaped being killed by pretending to be
	dead after they were shot. Later, when the soldiers had gone, they crawled away
	to safety. They are now in the Akkarayan hospital.
	
HINDU SOCIETY ARRANGES PROCESSION
	A massive religious procession and "bajan" organised by Mullaitivu's Hindu
	Society is set for this Friday. It will start at Mullaitivu and end at
	Puthukudiyiruppu. The people marching will be praying for victory for the LTTE,
	freedom for the Tamil people and the general well-being of Tamil people
	everywhere.
	
LTTE STUDENTS UNION ORGANISES EDUCATIONAL FILM SHOW
	The LTTE's student's union has arranged the showing of educational films for the
	benefit of "A" level geography students, to help with their exams. The film
	showing will be held at the Yokapuram Maha Vidyalayam (Vanni) at 10 am on
	Sunday.

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)