LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                14. July 1997

PRESS RELEASE 
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM
                                           
TAMIL MAN KILLED BY ARMY SHELLING
	Sathianatham Sivakumar (22) has died on the way to hospital after
	being hit by Sri Lankan army shells which landed in Vaddakachchi.
	Three others who were also struck are still fighting for their
	lives. Several more Tamil civilians who were hurt have been
	released from hospital with minor injuries. The area's houses and
	trees meanwhile have largely been flattened in the artillery
	assault, which began 7pm Saturday and continued till early Sunday
	morning. As usual the army's target was a populated town teeming
	with civilians. The Sinhala president's real motives have clearly
	surfaced - starve the Tamil people, cripple them by denying
	medicines and attack them with shells, bombs and bullets. No
	journalists have been allowed into Tamil areas for 2 years.
	
TEN TAMIL FISHERMEN DISAPPEAR AFTER NAVY ATTACK
	Sri Lanka's navy on Saturday set upon a large group of Tamil
	fishermen who were fishing along Mullaitivu's coast. The
	defenceless fishermen (from Ampalavanpokkanai, Mathalan and
	Mullaitivu) had to abandon their boats and swim frantically back
	to shore, leaving behind valuable fishing equipment. At least ten
	fishermen have not returned since Saturday, suggesting they have
	either been killed or abducted. For the past two months,
	Mullaitivu's coastal waters were free from such attacks from the
	Sinhala navy but they seem to have erupted again with a
	vengeance, putting further strain on the fishing communities of
	the region who are afraid to venture to sea. The Sri Lankan navy
	regularly claims it has attacked LTTE vessels after firing on
	Tamil fishing vessels at sea.
	
5000 HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN BATTICALOA ALONE
	Since 1990, over 5000 human rights violations against Tamil
	civilians have occurred in Batticaloa at the hands of Sinhala
	armed forces and a handful of Tamil and Muslim
	army-collaborators. Figures compiled by independent sources
	reveal that of the 5000 abuses, 90% have been committed by the
	Sinhala army and the rest by the mentioned Tamil and Muslim
	army-hired groups. The offences include rape and murder of women,
	illegal imprisonment, extortion, extra-judicial killings and
	kidnapping for ransom. Sinhala homeguards - now equipped with
	powerful weapons - are also engaged in the concerted effort to
	terrorise Batticaloa's Tamil civilians.
	
SUPPLIES FINISH AT MULLAITIVU HOSPITAL
	Drugs for high fever and vomiting, dysentery, typhoid, scabies,
	malaria and cerebral malaria have run out in Mullaitivu's main
	hospital. The amount of Tamil people needing hospital treatment,
	meanwhile, has increased dramatically, owing to the harsh
	conditions imposed on them by the Government of Sri Lanka.
	
LTTE ATTACK ON PARAMILITARY POLICE CAMP
	LTTE forces on their way to engage a Sri Lankan paramilitary
	police contingent in Sinnawaththai (Batticaloa) were intercepted
	by elite Sinhala STF forces. A direct battle ensued in which the
	STF commandos (incurring casualties) were forced to flee. Three
	LTTE fighters died. LTTE fighters then proceeded to attack the
	Sinnawaththai police camp during which two Sri Lankan
	paramilitaries were killed while the rest abandoned the camp.
	
ANOTHER PARAMILITARY POLICEMAN KILLED
	A Sri Lankan paramilitary policeman was killed in an LTTE attack
	in Settady (Valaichchenai). The LTTE did not incur any
	casualties.

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)