LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                20. February 1997


PRESS RELEASE
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM

SCHOOL BOOKS STOPPED AT VAVUNIYA
	Military authorities in Vavuniya have confiscated all the school
	books that were destined for Tamil children in Kilinochchi. The
	books are presently locked in army camps along with other
	restricted items, like writing paper and stationary.
	Kilinochchi's education authorities have been  trying to
	negotiate with the military top brass for the release of the
	books but say they have hit a wall of arrogance and indifference.
	The Sinhala commander in charge told them sarcastically, "We are
	currently reading these books. They will be released only after
	our acquiring a degree of proficiency in them."  All the books
	are in the Tamil-language. Incidents like this clearly
	demonstrate that the government's policy towards Tamils is not
	driven, as they claim, by benevolence.

MAIN ROAD-ROUTES AN ORDEAL FOR TAMILS
	The four main highways out from Batticaloa - leading to Badulla,
	Kalmunai, Amparai and Polonnaruwa - have become routes replete
	with dangers for Tamils. Sri Lankan soldiers routinely stop and
	interrogate ordinary Tamil citizens with the customary dose of
	racial and physical abuse often intended to make their journeys
	as inconvenient as possible. Also, when the mood catches the
	soldiers, these roads (except the one to Amparai) are closed off
	to Tamil travellers for lengthy periods without any notice given.
	It does not make a difference to the soldiers how urgent or
	necessary people's journeys to other parts might be. Sri Lanka,
	meanwhile, claims it is liberating the Tamil people.

LTTE INITIATES MORE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
	The LTTE administration in conjunction with TEEDOR (Tamil Eelam
	Economic Development Organisation) has supplied 500 coconut
	seedlings to a total of 133 families in Mulankavil and
	Nachchikuda, both in Tamil Vanni. Households in the Mulankavil
	Iranaimatha Thousand House Colony were given 3 seedlings each
	while those living in the Nachchikuda Senthalan Housing Colony
	received 5 each.

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)