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

300 TAMILS ARRESTED BY SINHALA STF FORCES
	A joint STF-army force combed the long stretch between Batticaloaâs
	Karaitivu and Nintavur arresting some 300 ordinary young Tamil men and
	women. The arrests followed a seven-hour long door-to-door raid during
	which all exit and entry routes to the area were barricaded. Hundreds
	of Tamil men, women and children were taken from their homes and
	marched to open grounds, where they were "interrogated". 300 young
	people were taken away by the armed forces. A week has passed since
	these arrests but the whereabouts of a single arrested person is not
	known.
	
GOVT. IGNORES GAâS CALL FOR URGENT FOOD RELIEF
	Kilinochchiâs government agent has appealed to the government to
	supply a 4-month backlog of "distress food rations" denied to 4133
	displaced Tamil people (993 families) in his district. The government
	has totally ignored his appeal. Meanwhile, Kilinochchiâs Akkarayan
	hospital has started to function but under considerable difficulties,
	since the rate of illnesses among the population has risen sharply.
	8473 patients were treated at the hospital for high fever recently,
	4305 for malaria and 601 for dysentery. In June alone, a total of
	25,025 people were treated here. 23 people died for lack of medicines.
	Sri Lankaâs health ministry, though fully informed of this state of
	affairs -- especially the needs of the newly displaced -- has done
	nothing to ease the medical embargo applied to the Vanni region.
	Mullaitivu district is similarly affected by a large influx of people
	displaced caused by Sri Lankan military operations. A prolonged
	drought has added to the peopleâs difficulties. The government has
	made matters worse by reducing -- by half -- the amount of people in
	Mullaitivu entitled to urgent food relief. These government measures
	are designed to force people out of LTTE-controlled areas by making
	living conditions in LTTE-held Vanni intolerable, but the governmentâs
	strategy has been unsuccessful. The massive Vanni region remains over
	95% under LTTE control, with a huge Tamil population.
	
14,000 YOUNG CHILDREN STAYING AWAY FROM SCHOOL
	The Sinhalese military occupation of Jaffna has led to an extremely
	worrying situation with regard to education. It is estimated that some
	14,000 children between year 2 and year 5 are not being sent to
	classes because parents feel the peninsula is neither safe enough
	under military rule, nor are there any facilities available for
	children since the army occupation began. Under the indigenous LTTE
	administration of Jaffna, educational facilities for the very young
	were plentiful and special educational care was provided to children
	of these ages.
	
KATHTHANKUDY HOSPITAL ON LAST LEGS
	The government's total neglect of Kaththankudy hospital (Batticaloa)
	has made the dilapidated building almost non-usable. The hospital is
	not stocked with any medical supplies, receives no funds and has not
	been maintained for several years. The building requires urgent
	attention. Patients who arrive here are normally advised to travel to
	the main Batticaloa hospital, which is miles away.
	
SPORTS EVENT IN MEMORY OF DEPARTED LTTE FIGHTERS
	The Mulankavil Vinayakar sports club held an impressive bullock-cart
	race -- funded by local businessmen -- in memory of the departed LTTE
	fighters who died this month. The event was keenly attended by large
	crowds of the general public in northwestern Vanni.    
	
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)