LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                22. February 1997


PRESS RELEASE
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM

TAMIL EELAM OBSERVES DAY OF MOURNING
	The aftershock of Wednesday's boat tragedy off Mannar is being
	felt today in Tamil Eelam where all public places remain closed
	as a mark of respect. Shops, schools and homes are festooned with
	black flags in an overwhelming response to the call for a
	national day of mourning by the LTTE-administration. No vehicles
	are travelling the roads and public condolence messages are
	displayed on big boards at main junctions. For the time being,
	people have shown a willingness to forget their own miseries and
	share the sorrow of the families of the mainly women and children
	who drowned that night. The dead were Tamil civilians trying to
	flee the latest Sri Lankan army advance west from Vavuniya which
	has already driven tens of thousands of Tamil residents away from
	their homes in panic. Those aboard the over-crowded vessel which
	capsized on Wednesday were hoping to reach the safety of Tamil
	Nadu before Sri Lankan troops could arrive.

"EDIBALA 2" - THOUSANDS MORE TURNED INTO REFUGEES
	The second phase of Sri Lanka's military push westward from
	Vavuniya has sent thousands more Tamil residents scattering to
	towns further afield. The army, having set up sentry points in
	the areas it has occupied, shells continually in all directions
	killing cattle and destroying trees and crops as well as
	uprooting civilians. Families in Koddaiadampan, Isaimalai, Thalvu
	and Murunkan have subsequently been forced to begin the long trek
	towards the refugee camps at Maddu Church and Thatchanamadu which
	are already overcrowded. So far Operation Edibala has turned well
	over 10,000 Tamils into 'refugees' in their own land. But with
	effective news-screening from the northern theatre of war Sri
	Lanka ensures that the scale of the humanitarian crisis remains
	unknown.

LTTE STEPS UP JAFFNA OPERATIONS
	LTTE forces attacked Sri Lankan army units in Jaffna on the 16th,
	17th, 18th and 20th of this month. Most were carried out against
	troops patrolling the roads between Kulavadi and Kulapiddy
	junctions. Exact army casualty figure are not known.

MORE AIR STRIKES ON CIVILIANS
	A Sri Lankan Puccara entered Manal-Aru airspace at 5.30 on
	Thursday flying over homes, intimidating residents and scaring
	cattle. Five powerful bombs were dropped in quick succession but
	fortunately overshot their targets, exploding in nearby jungles.

        
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)