1 killed in break-in at Lanka journalist's house

A suspected burglar was killed in a shootout with police during a reported robbery attempt early today at a leading Sri Lankan woman journalist's house here.
Police said some five burglars had broken into the house of Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema, a leading columnist in the English language 'Sunday Leader' newspaper.
The break-in at the house in Colombo south around 2 AM local time was met with police firing after police arrived at the scene upon being informed.
"They pointed a finger at me and demanded jewellery, I told them to take anything without doing any harm. Then they began looking for documents," Abeywickrema said.

Three robbers and a policeman were admitted to the hospital while a police search operation is underway to nab another.
Abeywickrema was elected the first President of the Journalists' Trade Union formed recently.

There have been many cases of threats and intimidation of the Sunday Leader's journalists including an arson attack in the past.
The newspaper's editor Lasantha Wickrematunga was murdered when a gang attacked him in his car in January 2009.
The Sunday Leader is considered a major critic of the present government and media activists allege that is the reason it has been targeted and that journalists have been forced to self-censor their work for fear of violent attacks.