LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                10. July 1997

PRESS RELEASE 
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM
                                           
"NO LIFT ON FOOD EMBARGO" - GOVT
	Vanni government agents say they recently met with Sri Lanka's
	newly-appointed Commissioner for Essential Services Mr. Somapala
	Gunadira and fully explained the state of people's suffering due
	to the food/ medicine embargo. The GAs also discussed food relief
	for the displaced which has been heavily curtailed.  But Mr.
	Gunadira replied he had been instructed not to act until the
	World Food Programme has submitted a report on the situation. The
	astonishing announcement means that many starving Tamil people of
	the region are at risk of dying while the lengthy "survey" is
	carried out, discussed and evaluated. The government knows that
	by the time the report comes it will be too late for many Tamil
	men, women and children.
	
ARMY SHELLS INJURE TWO CIVILIANS
	Two Tamil civilians in Kommanthurai (Batticaloa) have been badly
	injured after the Sri Lankan army shelled the town. Sivalingam
	Uthaykumari (18) and Gnandas Mahimaithas (38) were hit by
	shrapnel and are now in hospital . The block on journalists to
	Tamil regions enables the government to dismiss these
	almost-daily incidents of civilian casualties as "propaganda".
	
BODY OF NORTH KOREAN CREWMAN HANDED TO ICRC
	The head of the LTTE's political section, Mr. Thamil Chelvam, on
	Wednesday handed over to the ICRC the body of the North Korean
	crewman who died recently in unfortunate circumstances. Mr.
	Chelvam handed over the body of Sinyuvan Ko at 12.30pm in
	Mankulam.
	
ELEPHANT PASS ARMY CAMP SHELLS CIVILIAN CENTRES FOR 4 DAYS
	Intense shelling is taking place from Sri Lanka's Elephant Pass
	army camp and has been ongoing for 4 days without let-up. Shells
	are raining down on many of Kilinochchi's towns and as far away
	as Vaddakadchi. Hundreds of Tamil people have been uprooted. Sri
	Lanka's armed forces are exclusively Sinhalese. Their victims
	exclusively Tamils.
	
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)