Colombo, Aug 02: Paris-based media watchdog Reporters without Borders has called for action against a Sri Lankan government minister after he allegedly threatened to kill a newspaper editor, a statement said today. Mahinda Wijesekera, the fisheries minister, is accused of threatening to kill Lasantha Wickrematunga, editor of the Sunday Leader, after the weekly printed articles alleging the minister was involved in corruption.
Reporters without Borders, known in French as Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF), said it sent a letter yesterday to Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, asking him to "disown" the minister. "We deeply deplore the minister's behaviour and ask you to take action against him," the watchdog said in the letter to Wickremesinghe. The Sunday leader, despite being considered pro-government, is known for its probes of officials and criticism when misconduct is found. Bureau Report