LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                03. June 1997

PRESS RELEASE
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM                                           
                                                
	COLOMBO MEDIA JOINS PROPAGANDA TO STARVE TAMILS
        Colombo's media establishment yesterday complied with the defence
        ministry's attempt to depict the LTTE as food-thieves to justify
        continuing the government's cruel food-siege of Vanni. The
        Sinhala press, radio and television networks joined hands to
        depict Nedunkerni's multi-purpose co-op stocks (left behind when
        residents fled) as so-called "secret" food stockpiles belonging
        to the LTTE. The state media ran this perverse item repeatedly in
        all three languages.
        
        Every NGO on the ground will confirm that the LTTE has never
        taken food from civilians. On the contrary, the LTTE runs a civil
        administration in its own areas where - with the assistance of
        local NGOs - it generates agricultural development programmes and
        welfare provisions for the benefit of many suffering people. Had
        Sri Lanka not enforced a media ban to Tamil areas these truths
        would be more readily appreciated.
        
        The irony is, Sinhala troops who have occupied Nedunkerni have
        themselves looted the entire town's houses and shops. The
        multi-purpose co-op stocks shown on television - which legally
        belong to Tamils who fled -  have been criminally plundered by
        Sri Lanka's forces.
        
        It is important to know what is behind this latest propaganda
        drive saying that the LTTE steals food. Military officials' aim
        of linking Vavuniya to Jaffna has run into serious trouble and
        they foresee huge military disasters for the Sinhala forces.
        Knowing they cannot succeed militarily, starving the Tamils as a
        whole is now considered a tempting option. To enact it, stories
        have to be generated to muffle the world's criticism at what will
        become an increasingly callous food-siege of the entire Vanni, to
        induce mass starvation. The LTTE supposedly "stealing food"
        becomes a perfect excuse for progressively restricting food to
        Tamil areas, which is precisely what is happening.
        
        These sickening tactics should demonstrate to the watching world
        the true sentiments held by those conducting Sri Lanka's war -
        they have no feeling for the Tamils they are supposedly
        "liberating"; they are rather looking for the least problematic
        way to exterminate them while cleverly avoiding international
        condemnation.
        
FOOD-SIEGE UPDATE: TRICKLE OF CONVOYS PROGRESSIVELY REDUCED
        The trickle of food allowed into Vanni is not only woefully
        inadequate to feed a rapidly starving population; it is getting
        progressively less. Sri Lanka's commissioner of essential
        services said that enough food was being let through but the
        reality is different. The meagre 12 lorries allowed on Saturday
        to collect food from Vavuniya returned with one lorry totally
        empty. On Sunday, 50 lorries tried to collect food but only 40
        were let in. 4 of these were sent away unloaded. Yesterday, only
        32 lorries were allowed and today, according to Vavuniya's
        Sinhala army commander, 28 is the maximum. As of next Tuesday, he
        says, no lorries at all may come to collect food.
        
        According to independent estimates, a bare minimum of 50 lorries
        a day is necessary to meet the basic survival needs of Tamils in
        Vanni. These are not charity-supplies but rightfully purchased
        food-stocks to be picked up from Vavuniya daily. For the
        government to deny them is criminal.
        
ODDUSUDDAN STILL UNDER HEAVY FIRE - 6 PEOPLE HIT
        Sri Lankan forces are still heavily pounding teeming civilian
        centres in Oddusudan. Six Tamil civilians have so far been
        seriously wounded. All have lost limbs, with two of the injured
        still critical. The shells are being launched from recently
        occupied Nedunkerni.
        
SEVEN NEW LTTE RECRUITS
        In the last 48 hours seven students have joined LTTE ranks in
        Puthukudiyiruppu. Five are male, two female. During their
        induction they announced that while education was important, the
        unavoidable and urgent necessity was to protect their people and
        property from invading foreign forces.
        
SYSTEMATIC EROSION OF EDUCATION IN JAFFNA
        Sinhala troops occupying the ancient Tamil region of Jaffna have
        closed two important schools without explanation. The Navali
        American Mission School and South-Navali American Mission School
        are no longer available to students, who have been offered no
        alternative location. While a handful of Jaffna Tamil children
        are exhibited in Colombo as having progressed in their studies
        (for the government's propaganda) the reality is that many Tamil
        children's education is gradually being stolen from under them.
        
3 FISHERMEN ARRESTED IN MANNAR
        Three Tamils fishing off Mannar's coast were arrested by Sinhala
        naval forces last week and have not been seen since. They are
        presumed killed. Kathasamy Kanesan, Vairavy Nadesu and one other
        man are the victims.
        
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 / Fax: 0181-470 8593)