LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                16. July 1997

PRESS RELEASE 
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM
                                           
75,000 TAMILS HAND LETTER TO UN SECRETARY GENERAL
	Yesterday's mass protest in Akkarayan (Vanni) attracted no less
	than 75,000 people in bitter fury against the Sri Lankan
	government's economic blockade of Vanni. These people face
	starvation because the government stops them buying food
	(blocking all imported food at Vavuniya) and denies relief to the
	thousands of Tamils it has displaced (people unable to produce
	food after their displacement). Medicine is also similarly
	blocked by the Sri Lankan government at Vavuniya, and has been
	for years. The cumulative result of all this is that Tamil people
	are severely under-nourished and unresistant to disease. The
	birth-rate has dropped sharply; the infant mortality rate has
	risen dramatically. Children who do manage to survive are grossly
	under-weight and malnourished.
	
	In an effort to draw attention to this humanitarian disaster the
	ordinary people of Vanni have been protesting in huge numbers for
	the last few weeks. For the third time this week, a mass demo and
	human-chain rally took place. The 75,000 attendants braved the
	scorching sun and marched for two hours from Akkarayan Maha
	Vidyalam (school) to the office of the Kilinochchi government
	secretariat. Placards condemned the "genocide" enacted by the
	government and its armed forces and slogans were shouted with
	gusto. A letter setting out the people's grievances was handed to
	the Assistant Government Agent to be sent to UN Secretary General
	Kofi Annan, who it is hoped will take up the matter with fitting
	urgency.
	
NAVY STEPS UP ATTACKS ON CIVILIANS AFTER JAYA SIKURU FAILURE
	The Sri Lankan navy has resumed its attacks on Tamil fishermen
	and towns on the northeastern coast of Mullaitivu. Last Sunday,
	navy boats launched canons on fishermen at sea, killing and
	capturing several people. A fishing boat which went in search of
	the missing people has not returned. One person on this ill-fated
	boat swam back to shore reporting that a low-flying Mi24
	helicopter had fired rockets at the boat. He had narrowly escaped
	by jumping overboard. Yesterday, navy vessels raked
	indiscriminate canon-fire on Mullaitivu's coastal towns causing
	people to flee inland. Kfir bombers also joined in the assault.
	
HUNDREDS OF CATTLE WIPED OUT BY ARTILLERY
	Sri Lanka's armed forces are shelling the Tamil towns of
	Thanimurrippu and Arumugathan Kulam. Already, hundreds of cattle
	which had to be left behind when residents fled have been
	slaughtered. The shelling came from Sri Lanka's military camps at
	Manal Aru and Mankindimalai.
	
PEOPLE FLEE ARMY SHELLING
	A constant stream of Tamil people are leaving from areas
	surrounding Sri Lanka's military camps at Kilinochchi and
	Nedunkerni due to indiscriminate shelling by Sinhala troops. Much
	property has been damaged and the people (including many
	children) are leaving in panic.
	
PLOTE KILLS TAMIL CIVILIAN
	The infamous PLOTE group - which is serving under the Sri Lankan
	army for a monthly wage - is continuing its campaign of terror
	against Tamil civilians. On the June 29, PLOTE members bludgeoned
	to death a Tamil youth while he was ill in a Batticaloa hospital.
	PLOTE meanwhile has taken over the building of a tooth powder
	company in Batticaloa which has been converted into a torture
	chamber. Young Tamil men and women are regularly brought here and
	abused and sometimes executed.
	
"WORSHIP US LIKE GODS",  STF TELLS TAMIL CIVILIANS
	Passengers on a bus going from Batticaloa to Kalmunai were
	forcibly removed by Sri Lankan STF commandos who lined them up
	and told them that the STF should be worshipped "like Gods in
	human form". They went on, "If you worship us you will be shown
	mercy, but if you lose favour with us, then death is certain."
	This is typical of the intimidatory tactics used by Sri Lanka's
	armed forces occupying Tamil areas.
	
4 SOLDIERS KILLED - BATTICALOA
	Four soldiers belonging to the Sinhala army of occupation were
	killed in Valaichchenai (Batticaloa) yesterday after LTTE forces
	staged an attack at 7am. Many more Sri Lankan troops were badly
	wounded. 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)