Lanka arrests editor of 'anti-govt' website

A dissident Sri Lankan journalist has been arrested for allegedly threatening another man, but press freedom campaigners are of the opinion that it is a move to silence an independent voice critical about the government flaws.

Bennett Rupasinghe, editor of LankaeNews.com, has become the latest target, the BBC reports.

LankaeNews has been subjected to a number of threats and attacks in recent years. The organisation's office was set on fire in January, and a columnist for the website has been reportedly missing since over a year.

Rupasinghe had said at that time that he suspected "a government hand" in the arson attack because the website had published many stories exposing corruption, "especially on the part of the government".

He said that the website had received a lot of threats even before the arson attack. 

Last year, the chief editor of Lankaenews had fled the country after receiving threatening phone calls.