LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                23. February 1997


PRESS RELEASE
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM

"EDIBALA" WIPES OUT 12,000 ACRES OF RICE
	Advancing Sri Lankan forces have burned, shelled and trampled
	12,000 acres of Tamil rice fields in their recent westward march
	from Vavuniya. These fields, which had been ready for harvest,
	are now totally destroyed after a military push which was
	intended to cause as much damage to crops as possible. It is now
	becoming clear that a deliberate policy is in place of
	economically crippling the Tamil nation with the advantage
	afforded by an effective news-ban that has gone largely
	unchallenged by the international community.

MASS ARRESTS CONTINUE IN EAST
	200 Tamil civilians were arrested yesterday in Batticaloa after a
	Sri Lankan army round-up. They are residents of Valaichchenai,
	Kanankiramam, Paithalai, Puthukudiyiruppu and Kannakipuram. Even
	displaced people from the Paithalai refugee camp were taken. None
	of the 200 have yet been released.

ARMY STEALS TAMILS' LETTERS
	Post intended for Tamils in the north-east is being routinely
	stolen, opened and destroyed by Sri Lankan military personnel.
	Many Tamils have subsequently not been receiving expected cheques
	or money-drafts arriving from overseas. No remedial action has
	been taken by the government as Tamils are expected to endure
	human rights violations of this kind. Sri Lanka meanwhile tells
	the world that Tamils are treated equally under its rule.

ARMED SINHALA SETTLERS DISPLACE MUSLIM FARMERS
	Muslims living in the Eastern province are now, along with
	Tamils, on the receiving end of government-instigated Sinhala
	colonisation projects. Last week 50 Muslim farmers in Thamana and
	Dippomadu (Amparai) were attacked by military-backed Sinhala
	thugs brandishing clubs and knives. 9 of the farmers are missing,
	the rest are in hospital. The invaders have taken over their
	well-cultivated paddy lands.

JAFFNA UPDATE

NEW VIRAL FEVER SPREADS
	The outbreak in Jaffna of an unknown viral fever is causing
	concern among local doctors.  At the Jaffna Teaching Hospital,
	75% of patients - 120 in all - are now suffering from it. 20 are
	children. A pregnant Tamil woman who had also contracted the
	virus died a few days ago immediately after giving birth. Doctors
	say she was in a terrible condition before and during labour. The
	debilitating virus has been detected now in areas immediately
	south, west and east of Valigamam. Since the Sri Lankan army's
	occupation of Jaffna the general health of the Tamil population
	has continued to deteriorate. Indeed, there are no signs of the
	government's promised relief efforts. As time passes, doctors
	warn, the health of the region is set to get much worse.

ARMY GUNS 9 CIVILIANS
	More details are emerging of an army reprisal attack on Tamils
	which took place last week in Jaffna. Sri Lankan soldiers rounded
	up Tamil residents of Annamar Koilady (Puttur) and assaulted them
	with iron rods and rifle butts then opened fire on nine of them,
	killing 3 and injuring 6. The youngest of those killed was 14,
	while three women were among the badly injured. They have been
	admitted to Jaffna hospital with severe gunshot wounds. The
	brutal assault on these civilians happened soon after the LTTE
	intercepted an army unit on patrol in the area, killing two
	soldiers.

'EASE ALL-NIGHT CURFEW' - HINDU GROUPS PLEAD
	Hindu organisations in Jaffna have appealed to the Sri Lankan
	military to lift the all-night curfew that has been in force
	since the occupation of Jaffna in 1995. The organisations want
	Hindu Tamils to be able to perform customary prayers on Maha
	Sivarathiri Day (March 7). This religious occasion - also
	observed throughout India - is marked by temple ceremonies which
	traditionally go on throughout the night. But the
	Sinhala-Buddhist Sri Lankan military occupying Jaffna has shown a
	blunt insensitivity to the religious freedoms and practices of
	the Tamils, keeping people locked up in their homes every night
	and unable to participate in all-night cultural activities. The
	Hindu organisations who have made the appeal for a lift of the
	all-night curfew are not, in the light of past experiences,
	hopeful of a favourable response.

FISHERMEN SEARCHED AND QUESTIONED EVERY DAY
	Tamil fishermen in their ancient land of Jaffna now have to
	obtain daily 'fishing permits' from Sri Lankan military officials
	before they can go fishing. The daily procedure is cumbersome
	involving a full body search followed by a question-and-answer
	session in the presence of a Tamil translator. If the individual
	fisherman satisfies the Sinhala military officer in charge he is
	given a permit. But by this time it is usually broad daylight and
	the best catch has gone. Even then, Tamil fishermen are
	instructed to remain in sight of the soldiers which effectively
	prevents them from going into deep waters. Ever since the
	military occupation of Jaffna, Tamils have witnessed a steady
	erosion of their civil liberties.

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)