US condemns Sri Lanka attacks on embassy official, journalist

COLOMBO (AFP) — The United States Tuesday joined growing condemnation of an assault on a journalist and a senior British High Commission officer here and demanded that the attackers be brought to justice swiftly.

Political officer of the High Commission Mahendra Ratnaweera was severely injured in the Monday evening attack in Colombo while his passenger, freelance journalist and defence analyst Namal Perera, suffered serious injuries.

"The US condemns the brutal and unprovoked attack on a member of the British High Commission staff and an official of the Sri Lankan Press Institute," the US embassy said. "We call on the authorities to bring the perpetrators of this crime swiftly to justice."

Perera was also the acting director for media rights issues at the Sri Lanka Press Institute.

"We are deeply concerned by a series of recent incidents involving members of the Sri Lankan media," the US embassy statement said. "A press ...