LTTE International Secretariat
				211 Katherine Road
				London E6 1BU
				2 June 1997

PRESS  RELEASE

ATTENTION

GOVERNMENT CREATES LIES TO JUSTIFY TIGHTENING FOOD-SIEGE

Facing international pressure to lift the food-siege on Tamil
civilians in Vanni, Sri Lanka's defence ministry is working
overtime on propaganda to get away with tightening the siege. A
sinister statement issued yesterday - and quoted by Reuters -
claimed the discovery of "huge stockpiles of food in
Nedunkerni... apparently left behind by the LTTE rebels... the
stockpile included 83,000 tonnes of wheat flour, 77,000 tonnes of
rice and 55,000 tonnes of sugar."

The story has been entirely cooked-up. It is intended to justify
preventing further food convoys going to Tamil civilians using
the pretext that food is being 'stolen' by the LTTE.

The LTTE in its entire history has never hi-jacked food from
civilians and this is a fact verifiable by each and every NGO on
the ground.

In truth, the defence ministry is feeling desperate after its
latest military operation - ironically codenamed "Sure of
Victory" - has run into severe difficulties, with troops
effectively stalled just past Omanthai.

In this context, we can expect further stories of this sinister
nature in the coming period to justify a tightening of the
inhuman food-siege on civilians, which is being seen by Sri
Lanka's military hierarchy as the last available resort to break
Tamils' will.

Executive Committee

LTTE International Secretariat