LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                10. February 1997


PRESS RELEASE
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM

SOLDIERS KILLED 3 TAMILS IN EAST
        Sri Lankan soldiers shot dead three Tamil civilians yesterday in
        reprisal for an LTTE attack on their post at Valaichchenai where
        a Muslim pro-government militia-man was killed. Though defence
        ministry officials said the murders of the three civilians - in
        the Eastern village of Valaichchenai - were the work of the
        area's Muslim community, eye-witnesses (both Tamil and Muslim)
        confirm that Sri Lankan troops killed the Tamils after taking to
        the streets firing indiscriminately. It is not unusual for
        soldiers to strike at Tamil civilians after suffering military
        losses. The false account yesterday by the defence ministry was
        calculated to generate ethnic strife between Muslims and Tamils
        in the East. Also agent Provocateurs of the Sri Lankan government
        are operating in the eastern part of the island, to promote
        internecine clashes amongst the island's non-sinhalese people.

JAFFNA ARMY PATROL INTERCEPTED
        Three Sri Lankan soldiers died when LTTE forces overpowered the
        army patrol on Saturday morning in Inuvil (army-occupied Jaffna).
        There were no LTTE casualties and some rifles, grenades and
        accessories were captured. Sri Lanka's military hold on the
        Jaffna peninsula is becoming increasingly tenuous.

SOLDIERS INTRODUCE NOVEL FORMS OF TORTURE
        Torture of Tamils is now widespread in Sri Lankan-occupied parts
        of the northeast. In Valigamam district last week, Tamil inmates
        of the Navaly Pulavar refugee camp were taken away by soldiers to
        their army base. Some of the civilians were beaten to a frenzy.
        Witnesses say soldiers forced the young men to hold mouthfuls of
        stones while they were beaten senseless. A 21-year old, Rasiah
        Satheeswaran, died during his beating. Half of the refugees who
        were taken have been released, the other half are still in army
        custody. Relatives fear the worst. Sri Lanka says its forces are
        liberating the Tamil people.

TEEDOR CONTRIBUTES TO EELAM'S DEVELOPMENT
        The Tamil Eelam Economic Development Organisation (TEEDOR) is
        distributing free seedlings - Jak, Arecanut, Lime and Orange - to
        local cultivators in a co-ordinated campaign to develop the
        economy of Tamil Eelam. In conjunction with the LTTE
        administration TEEDOR has started issuing these seedlings to the
        areas of Mulankavil, Anaivilunthan and Pooneryn. The campaign is
        also targeted to help Tamil families displaced by successive Sri
        Lankan military operations restart their lives.

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 / Fax: 0181-470 8593)