Dear friends,

While today's papers hailed as the step forward the Prime Minister's speech in restoring the judiciary and bringing to a close the sacking of Tun Salleh Abbas and other eminent judges, the fact is the government is still in its old state! The abrupt banning of Tamil Makkal Osai proves the high-handed, non-transparent and non-consultative manner in the administration is yet to be cracked!

Let's all of us send an email to Syed Hamid Albar, the new minister of home affairs urging him to lift the ban on Makkalosai and explain on what basis it breached the guidelines. Stop him from his total discretionary power over press freedom and the people's right to information!

You can send an email with just the following subject line and CC to us at CIJ for us to follow up

To:
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CC:
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Subject:
"Explain why you denied the permit and lift the ban on Makkal Osai"

Your email can do a lot for press freedom.

V. Gayathry
Centre for Independent Journalism