LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                16. August 1997
PRESS RELEASE
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM

PEOPLE STAY AWAY FROM MILITARY INQUIRY INTO DISAPPEARANCES
	Tamil relatives of some 700 missing people are refusing to attend the
	government-appointed military inquiry into the disappearances based in
	Palali (Jaffna). Of the mere 60 people summoned to the Palali military
	camp by senior military officials to "record their statements", only
	39 people have dared to attend. The rest have refused to comply saying
	the whole exercise is an eyewash. Over 750 Tamils disappeared in
	army-occupied Jaffna between 1995-6 alone and the numbers of missing
	are still climbing.
	
ARMY SAYS PLACARDS TO BE PLACED IN FRONT OF TAMIL HOUSES
	The Sri Lankan army occupying Batticaloa on Monday ordered Tamil
	residents to hang placards in front of their houses identifying all
	the people in their household by name, age and occupation. Visitors to
	the house (both day and night) and the particulars of any vehicles
	must also be included, as well as details of whether their lands are
	under cultivation and what is being done with the produce. Meanwhile
	arbitrary arrests, search operations, torture, summary killings,
	shelling, denial of food and the closing of major roads (Valaichchenai
	and Batticaloa) by Sinhalese troops in Batticaloa are on the increase.
	
FIVE CIVILIANS MISSING
	Five Tamil civilians who went to inspect their former homes in
	Murasumoddai (Kilinochchi) have been missing for the past week. Paramu
	Vasanthakumar (22), Jeyam (25), Velan Aiyathurai (40), Rathinam
	Satkunanathan (32) and Thambirasa Thayaparan (25) went to recover
	valuables left behind when the Sinhala army invaded parts of
	Kilinochchi last year. Relatives who went to search for these five
	people say they found their bicycles and remnants of their clothes.
	They are not sure whether the victims have been taken alive or killed
	and buried.
	
DAY/NIGHT SHELLING CONTINUES UNABATED
	Sri Lankaâs armed forces continue to wreak havoc on the lives of
	ordinary Tamils by non-stop bombardments of Tamil areas, causing both
	temporary and permanent dislocation of the population. Army camps at
	Nedunkerni, Kilinochchi and Periyamadu have been shelling Tamil towns
	day and night ceaselessly for several days.
	
HUMAN REMAINS FOUND IN A JAFFNA WELL
	Labourers cleaning a public drinking water well in Kayts (Jaffna) in
	an army-held division of the island have recovered three skulls and
	bones from the wellâs depths. Locals are convinced these are the
	remains of people killed by the occupying Sinhala army and thrown into
	the well.
	
DROUGHT RELIEF TO TAMILS HELD BACK SINCE MARCH
	Essential drought relief has been withheld from the poor and hungry
	Tamils of Vavuniya since March 1997. The payment is continuing
	regularly in Sinhala areas where government officials grant this
	relief to Sinhala people whether or not they need it.
	
PEOPLE RISK AIRFORCE BOMBS TO HELP WITH TEEDOR SCHEME
	TEEDOR has mobilised members of the public to help clear the left-side
	water course of the Vavunikulam irrigation system (Vanni). The people
	have offered their labour freely and in spite of the bombing conducted
	in the vicinity by Sri Lankan Kfir warplanes.

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)