LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                02. January 1997
PRESS RELEASE
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM

G.A. LASHES OUT AT GOVERNMENT'S TACTICS
        The Government Agent for Kilinochchi has condemned his
        government's food and medicine ban to certain Tamil areas
        including his own district. Mr S. Thillainadarasa made his harsh
        statements as a petition was handed over by thousands of Tamil
        demonstrators protesting at the government's inhuman war-tactics.
        The GA said he understood the people's grievances entirely and
        revealed that the government had cut medical supplies to his
        district by a staggering 75% in 1996. He said he personally knew
        of many deaths that might have been prevented had the government
        carried out its responsibilities. Since Sri Lanka's latest
        military operations against the Tamil people began Mr
        Thillainadarasa says no efforts have been made by the government
        to care for the many thousands of Tamils the government knew
        would be made homeless. The GA rounded off his speech promising
        he would ensure the whole world got to know about the unfolding
        human tragedy.  The deliberate denial of food and medicines to
        unoccupied Tamil territory has long been central to Sri Lanka's
        effort to "cripple" the Tamil nation into submission to military
        authority.

ARMY REPRISAL AGAINST CIVILIANS
        The Sri Lankan army has stormed a Tamil village shooting randomly
        and looting homes. An elderly woman received severe gunshot
        wounds during the raid on Nagar Kovil (Vadamaradchy) and many
        cattle are reported dead. The attack comes soon after an LTTE
        claymore mine killed three Sri Lankan soldiers. Residents say the
        subsequent raid on their village is typical of army "reprisals"
        against Tamil civilians for military losses. In the ensuing
        mayhem Sinhala soldiers snatched radios, torchlights and cash
        belonging to the Tamil people of the village. The wounded lady is
        Thiagarasa Sellamma (75).

A TAMIL MOTHER'S GRIEF
        The mother of a Tamil student taken for interrogation by the Sri
        Lankan army has been told suddenly her son is not in their
        custody. Captain Bandara, head of the Jaffna army camp (in
        army-occupied Jaffna) told Leela Navamani to "clear off" and not
        bother him anymore. Captain Bandara had been the man who arrested
        her son at home during a midnight 'visit' and every day since
        then Mrs Navamani has turned up at the army camp begging to see
        her child. For the first few days Captain Bandara assured her the
        boy, a student of St John's College (Jaffna), would be released
        soon but suddenly one day told her no such person had been
        arrested. The incident, one of a growing number of such cases,
        has provoked fears among relatives that the boy may have been
        executed while in custody. Disappearances of Tamils are growing
        at a disturbing rate in army-occupied territory where more and
        more decomposed Tamil bodies are being discovered in shallow
        graves and young Tamils' bodies are regularly seen floating
        ashore tied in army sacks. Three other Tamils who recently met
        the same fate as Mrs Navamani's son are: Selvarajah Prabhakaran
        (24) of Thatchanthoppu, cycle-repairer Mahadeva (46) of Jaffna
        and Co-operative Society guard Kanthasamy Sukunarajah (38) of
        Ariyalai.


STATISTICS OF LTTE FIGHTERS WHO DIED (1982-1996)

The following is a comprehensive list of all LTTE fighters who
have died since the beginning of the Tamil liberation struggle up
until 30 November 1996.

TOTAL LTTE FIGHTERS KILLED - 9301

BREAKDOWN INTO MALE AND FEMALE DEATHS

Total LTTE male fighters  killed overall - 8222
Total LTTE female fighters killed overall - 1079

BREAKDOWN OF BLACK TIGERS KILLED

Male Black Tigers - 33
Female Black Tigers - 00
Male Black Sea Tigers - 45
Female Black Sea Tigers - 16

TOTAL - 94

BREAKDOWN OF LTTE FIGHTERS KILLED IN MAJOR LTTE/ARMY OPERATIONS

Ahaya Kadalveli Samar - 602
(air and sea combat)
Manal-Aru (Minnal) - 233
Operation Thavalai - 459
Kokuthoduvai - 175
Idimullakum - 181
("Thunder Strike")
Suriyakathir - 438
("Riveresa")
Oyatha Alaikal - 314
("Ceaseless Waves")
Sath Jeya 2 - 115
Sath Jeya 3 - 126

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/ Fax: 0181-470 8593)