Disciplinary action against controversial Sri Lankan minister for making threats

Acting Media Minister of Sri Lanka Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena says that disciplinary action should be initiated against Public Relations and Public Affairs Minister Mervyn Silva for stating that he had attacked a journalist.
Minister Silva last week said that he had attacked the former Secretary of the Working Journalists' Association, Poddala Jayantha and chased him out of the country for criticizing the government. Abeywardena has told the media that the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP) should hold a disciplinary inquiry into the statement made by Silva. He has noted that no one had the right to attack the media and legal action would be taken against any one if a complaint was made to the effect. The controversial Minister also threatened the human rights activists who had spoken against the government at the UN Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva. The Minister has in public warned the human rights activists Sunila Abeysekara, Nimalka Fernando, Sunanda Deshapriya, and Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu that he would 'break their limbs'. The Minister's arrogant remarks come amid a warning by the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Ms. Navi Pillay to the Sri Lankan government not to take any actions against on journalists and activists who spoke against the government in Geneva. Meanwhile, the SLFP Central Committee that met last night decided to take disciplinary action against Silva who is known for his acerbic public statements. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has asked SLFP Secretary Minister Maithripala Sirisena to call for an explanation from Silva over the statement made by him that he would be safe from anything as long as the Rajapaksas governed the country.