News from Tamil Eelam - 23 December 1997
	
OCCUPYING SINHALESE TROOPS ROUND UP JAFFNA TOWNS
	Sinhalese armed forces Saturday rounded up the towns of Kokkuvil and
	Kondavil, ransacking local Tamil homes. The round-up started early in
	the morning and went on till late afternoon, during which time several
	Tamil residents were assaulted and many taken away to unknown
	destinations.
	
	Relatives of those taken raised fears for their safety, as the
	Sinhalese army is known to torture and kill Tamil people in custody.
	
	Elsewhere in Jaffna, Sinhalese armed forces rounded up the Tamil towns
	of Puthukadu and Thalayady.
	
ARMY SHOOTS DEAD A MOTHER OF THREE
	Sinhalese soldiers shot dead Nagan Jeyamany (43), a Tamil mother of
	three children in Varani (Jaffna). Her eight year-old child, Nagan
	Janarthanan, was also injured in the shooting and admitted to Jaffna
	hospital.

OCCUPYING ARMY RUINS HISTORIC HINDU TEMPLE IN JAFFNA
	The Sinhalese army has caused severe damaged to the historic
	Maviddapuram Kanthasamy temple. Apart from external damages, internal
	damage to the temple is also severe. The temple's inner shrine has
	been destroyed and the pillars supporting the temple buildings have
	also been badly affected.
	
ARMY ROBS JAFFNA RESIDENTS DURING ARRESTS
	On Friday, the Sinhalese army of occupation entered Cyril Anton
	George's home (in Gurunagar, Jaffna) at 10 PM and arrested him. During
	the arrest, the army robbed from his home a radio, a bicycle and 25000
	rupees. George, aged 32, is a father of four.
	
	In another incident in Jaffna, the armed forces robbed 12,000 rupees
	from the home of Pathmaseelan Anton Jude after arresting him.
	Pathmaseelan's father was also arrested earlier by the armed forces
	and police have informed the ICRC that both of them are being held at
	Kankesanthurai.

ARMED FORCES SHOOT MUSLIM FISHERMAN
	Sinhalese armed forces Saturday shot dead Akram, a Muslim fisherman,
	as he rowed towards the coast after fishing near Kathankudy
	(Batticaloa).
	
(English translation of the news released by LTTE International Secretariat,
211 Katherine Road, London E6 1BU, United Kingdom.Tel:0181- 503 4294)