Thinking Malaysians must be bewildered at the government's show-cause letter to the New Straits Times over its publication of a controversial syndicated cartoon.

What the Tribune did was clearly inappropriate. But we oppose any attempt by government to control the media through censorship under threat of closure.

Each time the state narrows the space for freedom of the media, activists have bounced back with creative ways to get their message across, recount Mustafa Kamal Anuar and Anil Netto.

Let history record that we at this time and place did our little bit for the cause, says P Ramakrishnan, in tracing the history of Aliran Monthly.

Charter 2000 is a citizens' media initiative with its secretariat at the Aliran office
103 Medan Penaga,11600 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +60-(0)4-658 5251 Fax: +60-(0)4-658 5197
e-mail: [email protected]