By Saroj Pathirana BBC Sinhala Service

	RSF says President should take action against ministers threatening media

Paris based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said President Mahinda Rajapaksa has failed to take any punitive action against ministers who are accused of threatening media.

"This attack is very disturbing because we know that minister Mervyn Silva has a lot of accusations because of what happened last December," RSF spokesman Vincent Brossel told BBC Sandeshaya.

'Scary' situation

"It is very scary because once a minister is against you, you can be attacked, beaten, disappear or even be killed," he added.

	Two assailants have stabbed the SLRC journalist on Friday night

Five media organisations in Sri Lanka, say the attack is suspected to be 'retaliation' for the assault on minister Mervyn Silva by Sri Lanka Rupavahini corporation (SLRC) workers on 27 December.

"There has been no other threats to him by any other for any reason according to our information," the joint statement by the media organisations said.

Criminal gangs planning attacks

Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA), Federation of Media Employees Trade Union (FMETU), Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum (SLMMF),Sri Lanka Tamil Journalists Alliance (SLTJA) and Free Media Movement (FMM) urged the government to punish the culprits.

	RSF says President has failed to take action against Minister Devananda

"Our organisations have received credible information that some Under- world criminal gangs were planning to attack journalists who played leading role in protest against the minister and his gang," the statement added.

The Paris based watchdog, RSF, says it is now up to President Rajapaksa to prove that media freedom prevails in Sri Lanka.

"I think the president should take this case very seriously and hold an investigations and actions should be taken against Minister Silva if there is any link," Vincent Brossel told BBC Sinhala.com.

Nimalarajan killing

He also noted that many allegations against EPDP leader, Minister Douglas Devananda, are yet to be investigated.

Frequent attacks on journalists and a climate of impunity for the perpetrators are a matter of serious concern Amnesty International

"Unfortunately president did not take any action against minister Silva, neither he took action against Minister Devananda, who is also involved in crimes against journalists. We think that president should take action urgently," the RSF spokesman said.

EPDP led by Minister Devananda is accused of killing Jaffna journalist Mylvaganam Nimalarajan and threatening many other journalists and newspapers in the north.

Amnesty International

Strongly condemning the assault on the journalist, Amnesty International says "frequent attacks on journalists and a climate of impunity for the perpetrators are a matter of serious concern".

The AI has urged Sri Lankan authorities to "declare unequivocally that killings, threats, or other attacks on media workers will not be tolerated".