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

"MARCH FOR MEDICINE" - HUGE VANNI PROTESTS
        Many thousands of Tamils across Vanni district have handed over
        petitions to OXFAM, MSF, CARE and ICRC after mass protests
        yesterday. The demonstrations, massively attended in Mankulam,
        Mallavi, Thunnukai, Pandiankulam and other neighbouring areas,
        was the Tamil people's way of condemning Sri Lanka's food and
        medicine ban to their areas. Sri Lanka at present has in place a
        strict block on essential medical items which stops Tamils
        obtaining even the pain-killer Panadol. Many leading members of
        the Vanni community at the demo condemned Sri Lanka's policy
        saying it used medicine as a weapon of war to cripple the Tamil
        people not living under its own areas of occupation. Yesterday's
        protest saw school-children, teachers, businessmen, doctors and
        even some hospital patients take to the streets and issue an
        appeal to the president, opposition leader and health minister to
        withdraw their inhuman policy against the Tamil people. 
        
        A series of public speeches then took place at the Vannan sports
        ground where, among others, one doctor Sivapalan told the crowd,
        "While Sri Lanka poses to the world as a model of piety and
        social justice, behind closed doors it carries out a merciless
        destruction of the Tamil people." He pointed out that the
        international community had been made blind to the desperation of
        the Tamils. "Where else in the world do people have to clamour
        like this just for the right to receive food and medicine?" he
        said. A number of recent independent surveys have shown that
        malnutrition and death from curable diseases is rife among the
        Tamil population in these areas as a direct result of the
        government's food and medicine policy. But since Sri Lanka also
        bans journalists from visiting these traditional Tamil areas in
        the north-east, news of these horrendous conditions and of the
        escalating anti-government protests, go largely unreported.

NO VACCINES FOR TAMIL CHILDREN
        The triple-vaccine for Tamil children in Mullaitivu (Vanni
        district)  has been out of stock for the last month with no sign
        of it reappearing. The Sri Lankan government continues to stop
        any medical supplies going through to the Vanni. Incidence of
        malaria, cerebral malaria, dysentery, typhoid and septicaemia in
        Vanni  have shot up dramatically in recent months but with
        diminishing medical stocks most patients are turned away without
        the barest treatment. Doctors at Mullaitivu hospital say it may
        soon have to close altogether because the shortages are so
        severe.

ARMY TORTURE  ON THE RISE
        Two more cases of severe torture committed by the Sri Lankan army
        against Tamil civilians has come to light in Vadamaradchy
        (Jaffna). In one, Tamil youth Ponnar Sinnathurai Sureskumar from
        Alvai was kept in an army camp for ten days after being arrested
        on December 16. His dead body was later handed over to his family
        with the explanation that an accident had occurred. But it was
        clear from the marks on his body that he had been subjected to
        some of the worst forms of torture. Another Tamil youth was
        arrested on the same day. Though he was deaf and dumb he was
        severely tortured and beaten while in army custody. He has been
        placed in a nearby hospital but doctors have said his chances of
        survival are poor.

SIX ARMY POSTS OVERRUN - MANNAR
        Eight Sri Lankan soldiers died and many more were injured after a
        dawn raid by the LTTE on six military checkpoints in the Tamil
        area of Thanthrimalai (Mannar district). The six military posts,
        which stretched over a distance of 300 metres, were targeted
        simultaneously. There were no LTTE casualties and a significant
        amount of arms and ammunition was captured.

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)


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)