News from Tamil Eelam - 31 December 1997
	
SINHALESE FORCES THREATEN 'SEVERE PUNISHMENT' TO TAMILS
	Occupying Sinhalese armed forces have threatened Jaffna civilians with
	severe punishment if they fail to volunteer information about LTTE
	members and LTTE arms hideouts. The armed forces further warned that
	from tomorrow Tamil homes in Jaffna would be subjected to army
	searches at any time, day or night. During the last few days, the
	occupying army arbitrarily arrested 10 Tamil civilians, including
	young women in various parts of Jaffna. Of those arrested, one person
	was 60 years old while the rest were aged between 15 and 24. On
	Monday, the Sinhalese armed forces rounded up the Tamil towns of
	Achchuveli, Thampalai, Valalai and Idaikadu (in Jaffna) for 6 hours.
	Several Tamil homes were ransacked including a women's home, which was
	subjected to an intensive search.

3 CIVILIANS DIE IN SRI LANKAN ARMY MINE
	3 Tamil civilians Sunday died in an army mine explosion in Velanai
	island (Jaffna). The three were travelling in a tractor when it ran
	over a pressure mine buried by the occupying Sinhalese army. Two
	people - Ponnaiah Saminathan (52) and Maialagan (40) - died on the
	spot while the tractor was totally destroyed. The other person -
	Iyathurai Thanchaiyan (45) - died in the Jaffna hospital. The place
	where the explosion happened was formerly a Sri Lankan army camp.
	
NO REHABILITAION FOR JAFFNA
	Several millions of rupees worth of rehabilitation work earmarked by
	International humanitarian organisations have not been undertaken by
	the Chandrika government in Jaffna, revealed a Colombo-based English
	daily. After the army captured the area, Chandrika appealed for funds
	to rehabilitate Jaffna and many international organisations, including
	the US DB, had allocated funds for the purpose but the Jaffna people
	have not received any benefits, noted the paper.
	
POSTAGE STAMPS DENIED TO MULLAITIVU
	There is a desperate shortage of postage stamps in Mullaitivu, a
	region to which Sri Lanka has long imposed an economic blockade. The
	scarcity is so severe that stamps are only available at
	Puthukudiyiruppu post office, which is temporarily functioning as the
	main post office for Mullaitivu. The Sinhalese government has for the
	last 7 years enforced a ban on food and medicine to Tamil Vanni, a
	region which its armed forces have been unable to occupy.
	
SINHALESE GOVERNMENT INTIMIDATES INTERNATIONAL NGOS
	Sri Lankan police are intimidating 15 international NGOs working in
	the north-east, alleging they are lending support to the LTTE. One
	high-ranking Sinhalese special police officer has said police suspect
	that these international NGOs have helped the LTTE transport its
	members to Colombo and are involved in gathering and passing
	information to the LTTE. Police have even claimed arresting 4 NGO
	workers alleging they are LTTE. Sri Lankan governments have a long
	record of intimidating international NGOs trying to help Tamils in the
	north-east.
	
(English translation of the news released by LTTE International Secretariat,
211 Katherine Road, London E6 1BU, United Kingdom.Tel:0181- 503 4294)