TamilNet: Special Report LTTE #1 10/10/97 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit ----------------------------------------------------------------- Following Press Release is sent for distribution through TamilNet , by the LTTE international secretariat, 211 Katherine Road, London E6 1BU, United Kingdom, Tel/fax: 0181-470 8593. ----------------------------------------------------------------- LTTE Headquarters, Tamil Eelam. 10. October 1997 SPECIAL RELEASE We wish to express our deep dismay and displeasure over the decision of the U.S. State Department to include our liberation organisation in the highly controversial list of so-called world terrorist movements. It is indeed regrettable that the American nation, which secured its own independence after a violent struggle for self-determination, and has ever since championed the cause of human freedom, has chosen to characterise and discredit the legitimate struggle of the Tamil people seeking to determine their political status, as a phenomenon of terrorism. We consider this indictment by the U.S. State Department unfair, unfounded and irresponsible. We wish to state that the U.S. decision to malign the Tamil freedom movement as a form of terrorism has far-reaching consequences in that it will encourage the racist Sinhala state to pursue its policy of war and military repression against the Tamils and thereby escalate the present armed conflict. This rather imprudent diplomatic move to placate Sri Lanka, which has a notorious record of human rights violations, will not in any way help the prospects of peace and reconciliation, but rather will contribute to the genocidal destruction of the Tamil nation. It will amount to a serious miscalculation on the part of the U.S. administration if this prohibitionary measure is designed to stifle the growing international support of the world Tamil community to the Eelam liberation struggle spearheaded by the LTTE. The world Tamil community has an unshakeable conviction in the legitimacy of our struggle and in the passionate yearning of our people for freedom from Sinhala domination and oppression. Therefore, we are confident that the attempt by the U.S. Government to tarnish the image of our movement will not in any way affect the popular support and sympathy we enjoy among the world's Tamils. 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) ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytas-10.12.97-23:34:22-8627