LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                30. January 1997


PRESS RELEASE
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM

JAFFNA MISSING TOLL RISES
	Kandiah Jeyapalan is the latest Tamil to disappear after arrest
	by Sri Lankan forces in army-occupied Jaffna. He is 35 years old
	and was taken away at Kalviankadu (Nallur) by the military while
	on his way to work. No next of kin have been notified about his
	whereabouts.
	Other Tamils who have gone missing since our last report:-
	Tharmalingam Suthakaran (24)Chelliah Paramanthan (47)
	Ponnampalam Kannathasan (21)
	Mahendran Papu (23)
	Rasiah Satheeskumar (29) 
	Rajasingam Pandaro (32)
	Paramanthan Thaveswaran
	Thevathas Sureskumar (25)
	Yogarajah

ARBITRARY DETENTIONS CONTINUE
	Five Tamils have been detained in Puttalam following an arbitrary
	round-up of Tamils in the area. Such round-ups have become the
	norm for Tamils who live in Sri Lanka-controlled areas.  The five
	arrested were taken away despite having in their possession all
	the relevant identification documents. Cases of ill-treatment of
	Tamil prisoners under these circumstances are also on the rise.
	The arrested are:
	W.D. Palakrishnan (32),
	Elman Markandeyar (46),
	Muthurasa (27),
	Mahindakumar (32),
	Mrs. M. Mahaswary (44).

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)