Mawalage says he received death threats after the incident where Minister Mervyn Silva was assaulted by angry SLRC workers

Lal Hemantha Mawalage's car was stopped in Athurugiriya at about 23:00 SLT by two assailants and started stabbing, he has told the police.

Minister Silva assaulted

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 Sri Lankan authorities should declare unequivocally that killings, threats, or other attacks on media workers will not be tolerated   Amnesty International

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

Journalist Mawalage was taken to the operation theatre at about 11:00 SLT on Saturday.

Mawalage took an active part in protesting Minister Mervyn Silva's threats to SLRC journalists on 27 December, last year.

Speaking after the surgery, he told journalists gathered at the hospital that he was continuously harassed and regularly received death threats.

Death threats

He vowed to even 'sacrifice his life' for the SLRC that helped made him a television star.

"I didn't come out to assault anybody on that day. I came to protect the SLRC," Mawalage told the journalists refering to the incident where minister Silva was assaulted by SLRC workers.

	Angry SLRC workers assaulted Minister Silva on 27 December

Angry SLRC workers assaulted the minister and his henchmen after the minister's supporters assaulted SLRC news director, TMG Chandrasekara.

An SLRC worker who did not want to mention his name due to fear, told BBC Sandeshaya that the SLRC workers regularly received threats after the incident.

Mawalage has made a formal complaint to the police hours before the incident on Friday "as he could not bear any longer the threats against him," the SLRC worker said.

"Sometimes, when they go to cover events, some people have publicly threatened our producers and drivers. It is very clear that all these people who have threatened SLRC workers are behind this attack on Mawalage," he added.

A group of thugs, he said, threatened the SLRC team that went to cover the funeral of former minister DM Dassanayake in Puttalam, few weeks ago.