Outspoken Sri Lankan female journalist Dileesha Abeysundera who works for the Sinhala-language edition of the Sunday Leader had come under threat by unknown gangsters. The newspaper has suffered numerous serious attacks on its staff and offices in the past.

Dileesha Abeysundera is an award winning journalist for the Sri Lankan newspaper, Irundia that is known for its highly critical coverage of the Sri Lankan government. She is also the Deputy Secretary of the Free Media Movement and Secretary of the National Forum for Journalists in Sri Lanka.

Several unidentified people travelling in white vans tried to break into her compound in the Borella District in capital Colombo at 11:45pm on Sept. 28. The gang kept calling her name while trying to break the locked gate to enter. Dileesha managed to escape by telling the gang that they had come to the wrong house.

While, Dileesha wasn't harmed, her friends and colleagues say that they are worried about her safety. The use of white vans was particularly chilling White vans have been used in many abductions and enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka since 2006.

It was reported, Dileesha Abeysundera  had organized a meeting on 28 September calling for the abolition of the Press Council Act, a law which restricts freedom of expression in Sri Lanka by prohibiting publication of materials relating to economic policy, government documents and other topics. The Sri Lankan government has repeatedly defended the Act. It's thought that she was threatened that evening because of her work in organizing the meeting that day.

Over 14 media workers have been killed since 2006 with no one brought to justice in any of these cases.

People are urged to write to President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka and ask him to ensure Dileesha's safety and to investigate the attempted intimidation of her.