Two human rights defenders Mr Thulasi Thambirajan and Mr Dharuman Ramasamy were assaulted and are now facing prison charges for their exposure of corruption within the local Panchayat in their implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). Thulasi Thambirajan is a human rights teacher in the Adi Dravida Welfare Middle School in Varakoor and Dharuman Ramasamy is an organiser in the Citizens for Human Rights Movement (CHRM).
Front Line would like to express its grave concern in relation to reports of the arrest and detention of human rights defender Mr Marimuthu Barathan, and of false charges of murder that have been brought against him on 27 May 2009.
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