LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                22. June 1997

PRESS RELEASE
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM
                                           
ROUND-UPS, SHOOTINGS, MOLESTATION NOW DAILY EVENTS IN JAFFNA
	Sri Lanka's all-Sinhala soldiers who are occupying the ancient
	Tamil Jaffna peninsula are indulging in progressively worse and
	more frequent abuses of Tamil civilians. Residents of Valigamam
	West (in places like Chankanai, Sithankerni, Mavady, Moolai,
	Chulipuram, and Tholpuram) are taking the brunt of the Sinhala
	military's increasing venom. Here, round-ups occur no less than
	once a day. Shooting of civilians without provocation is common.
	Rape and molestation of Tamil women in their homes and at army
	camps is rampant, and there are frequent reports of sexual
	teasing directed at young Tamil school girls who have to pass
	military checkpoints on their way to and from school. No lamps
	can be lit after 6pm. Every home must fly a prominent white flag
	and there must be a red circle - visible when entering - drawn at
	the front of each house, or else these residents face
	interrogation and arrest. Curfew hours in Sinhala-"liberated"
	Jaffna are between 6pm and 5am. Going to other areas is strictly
	prohibited, even under circumstances of extreme illness where
	emergency hospital treatment is needed.
	
SINHALA MILITARY PROMOTES ALCOHOL
	The all-Sinhala Sri Lankan military occupying the wholly Tamil
	Jaffna peninsula is promoting the setting up of liquor
	establishments all over Jaffna city. The number of licensed
	liquor shops here has shot up by 12 in the last week alone. Even
	government officials have opened up liquor stores in the names of
	their friends and relatives, cashing in on the miseries of the
	Tamil population. Shops selling liquor now actually outnumber
	tea-shops.
	
TAMILS STOPPED FROM TRAVELLING
	Huge numbers of Tamil travellers and business people arriving in
	parts of Mannar have been stopped by Sinhala military authorities
	from travelling to Colombo. Thousands are now stranded in arid
	wasteland with little water and subject to the heartless conduct
	of the Sinhala military.
	
SRI LANKAN PARAMILITARY KILLED
	A Sri Lankan paramilitary policeman was killed in an LTTE attack
	in Eravur (Batticaloa district) on Wednesday. Arms and ammunition
	was captured by LTTE forces.


	
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)