THEY WENT FOR JOBS, AND FACE GALLOWS

PARAMAKUDI (Tamil Nadu): Eight persons from Tamil Nadu, who went to
Malaysia in search of jobs, are facing the gallows there, a human
rights group said on Friday.

According to Ramanathapuram district human rights Kazhagam organiser,
Murugesan, eight persons from Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga districts
of Tamil Nadu - Elangovan, Selvam, Sathyendran, Tiruselvam, Abimanyan,
Gunasekharan, Varadharajan and Saravanan - had gone to Malaysia in
search of jobs and had stayed together in a house at Kuala Lumpur .

Police raided the house on April 25, 2003 . Though they did not seize
any incriminating things in the portion of the building the Indians
had occupied, they seized dreaded narcotic drugs from the portion
where the owner was living.

However, police arrested both, the owner of the building and the
Indians. The court found the Indians innocent and released them.

But the police filed a fresh ''malicious charge'' on various counts,
including overstaying and smuggling of narcotic drugs and they were
produced again in the court. All of them were sentenced to death, says
Murugesan.

The eight youths are facing the gallows, he says. Meanwhile, parents
of the condemned youths have appealed to the Malaysian government
through the Indian government to get the release of the youngsters.