Sri Lanka pledges not to prosecute wounded reporter

The Sri Lankan government said it is unlikely to prosecute an American journalist who interacted with a banned rebel organisation.

Marie Colvin also overstayed her visa and travelled to a war zone without mandatory permission.

Ms Colvin sustained shrapnel wounds to her head, chest and arm while trying to enter a government-held town.

"Indeed there have been violations, but it is most unlikely that we will prosecute her," government spokesman Ariya Rubasinghe said.

Ms Colvin, an award-winning reporter with Britain's Sunday Times, lives in London and travelled to Sri Lanka to report on the 17-year-old Tamil separatist war that has killed over 63,000 people.

"When this unfortunate incident occurred on April 16, her visa was not valid," Rubasinghe said. "It has to be clearly stated for the purpose of record that Ms Colvin was given a visa for a period of two weeks beginning from March 27."

Ms Colvin, 44, a native of Oyster Bay, New York, is in a stable condition at a private hospital where she is being kept in the intensive care unit.

Richard Caseby, managing editor of the Sunday Times, said in London that Ms Colvin will be flown to the US as soon as her health permitted.