US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO750

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 000750 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/R/N-LARRY A. MOODY 
INFO: SA/PD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, SCUL, KPAO, OEXC - Exchanges 
SUBJECT: SPECIAL FY-2004 MRP "YOUNG LEADERS: EFFECTING 
SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGE" - 
SEPTEMBER 7-24, 2004: SRI LANKAN NOMINATIONS 
PROJECT NUMBER: E/VGV-2004-0105 
 
REF: STATE 071073 
 
1. POST NOMINATES MS. CHAMPIKA LIYANARACHCHI, POLITICAL 
COLUMNIST/DEPUTY FEATURES EDITOR, "DAILY MIRROR," AS 
THE PRINCIPAL CANDIDATE AND MR. SEEVALI AMITIRIGALA, 
LECTURER, SRI LANKA LAW COLLEGE, AS THE ALTERNATE FOR 
PARTICIPATION IN THE SUBJECT PROJECT.  POST CONFIRMS 
THAT THIS NOMINATION HAS "FULL COUNTRY TEAM APPROVAL." 
 
2. NOMINATION IS AS FOLLOWS: 
START FIXED-FORMAT TEXT (PLEASE DO NOT EDIT): 
: The following data is in a fixed format which enables 
: automated processing in Washington and should not be 
: edited except by means of the Post-EVDB software. 
EXPORT-SOURCE: POST-EVDB 
VERSION: 3.0.7 
POST-EMAIL: rscmb@pd.state.gov 
TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS  Colombo 
TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 2929 
EXPORT-TYPE: BIO DATA 
START NOMINATION: 
ECA-OFFICE: E/VGN 
PROG-AGENCY-NAME: 
POST-PROJ-ID: 110 
ECA-PROJ-NO: E/VGN-2004-0105 
PROJ-NAME: Young Leaders: Effecting Social, Political 
and Economic Change - September 7-24, 2004 
START MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
 
END MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
PROJ-TYPE: Multi-Regional 
PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor 
FY: 2004 
DEPART-POST: 09/05/2004 
SESSION-DATE: 09/07/2004 
RETURN-POST: 09/26/2004 
NO-OF-PART: 2 
RANK-ORDER: 1 
START MEMO POST-OBJ: 
This nomination is in support of MPP goals on Democracy 
END MEMO POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO POST-RCMD: 
 
END MEMO POST-RCMD: 
ECA-OFFICE-ID: 1039 
PROG-AGENCY-ID: 
PROJ-TYPE-ID: MRP 
PROG-TYPE-ID: 29 
NOMINATING-POST-ID: 2929 
FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
STATUS: N 
ORIGINATOR: U 
SUBJ-DISC: Social Issues 
START BIO: 
PREFIX: Ms. 
F-NAME: Champika 
M-NAME: 
L-NAME: LIYANARACHCHI 
SUFFIX: 
POSITION-CODE: 622 
PRINCIPAL?: Yes 
M-ADDR1: Daily Mirror Editorial 
M-ADDR2: Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. 
M-ADDR3: Hunupitiya Cross Road 
M-CITY: Colombo 2 
M-STATE: 
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
M-ZONE: 
M-ZIP: 
M-PHONE: (0094) 777-530-429 
M-FAX: (0094) 533-0811 
M-EMAIL: champikal@hotmail.com 
M-CNTRY-ID: CE 
M-ADDRTYPE: B 
GENDER: F 
DOB: 09/09/1970 
MAR-STAT: S 
BIRTH-CITY: Colombo 
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
START MEMO POSITION: 
Deputy Features Editor/Political Columnist, June 1996- 
to date 
END MEMO POSITION: 
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
Colombo Correspondent, Reporters Sans Frontiers, July 
2003- to date 
Country Representative, Oneworld - Yahoo News Website, 
April 2003- to date 
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
 
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
None 
END MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
India - 1992 - Participated in the First Asian 
Development Forum; September 2003 - Regional meeting 
Oneworld 
Japan - 2002 - Fellowship at Foreign Press Center, 
Japan 
U.K. - February 2003 - Participated at the Bi-annual 
Conference of the Commonwealth Journalists 
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO EDUCATION: 
B.A. in English Literature, University of Colombo, 2002 
END MEMO EDUCATION: 
START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
Member, Executive Committee, Commonwealth Journalists' 
Association 
END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
START MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
 
END MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
START MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
Vegetarian 
END MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
FIRST-LANG: Sinhala 
ENGL-READ: 4 
ENGL-SPEAK: 4 
ENGL-COMP: 4 
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
This nomination is in support of MPP goals on 
Democracy. 
END MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
 
END MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
START MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
 
END MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
START MEMO VIS-REC: 
 
END MEMO VIS-REC: 
NOMINATING-OFFICER: Bruce A. Lohof 
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
Champika holds a very senior position at Wijeya 
Newspapers.  She is responsible for the weekly 
political column in the "Daily Mirror" and oversees the 
work of junior writers. Her keen interest in conflict 
theories-concepts-political economy of conflicts -- 
constitutional and legal aspects of conflict processes 
-- encourages her to portray an analytical view of the 
political scene.  She is a key contact of the press 
section and has a high sense of responsibility 
regarding US stories are carried.  Champika has never 
visited the U.S.   Her participation at this MRP on 
'Young Leaders: Effecting Social, Political and 
Economic Change' will give her the necessary exposure 
to influence her readership in Sri Lanka. 
 
Post confirms that this nomination has "full country 
team approval." 
 
END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
NOM-OFF: Public Affairs 
SPEAKER?: No 
NOTIFY-EMB: Yes 
MEDIA?: No 
HOME-STAY: Yes 
HOME-HOSP?: Yes 
E-I-TYPE: 
NOMINEE-ID: 147 
PERSON-ID: 150 
BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: CE 
CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: CE 
RES-CNTRY-ID: CE 
FIRST-LANG-ID: SI 
E-I-TYPE-ID: 
NOM-POST-ID: 2929 
NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
NOM-STATUS: N 
DS2019-ACTION: 1 
DS2019-SUBJECT: 39.0702 
SPONS-FUNDS: 0 
SPONS-AGENCY1: DOS 
USGOVT-AGENCY1: DOS 
US-AGENCY-AMT1: 8000 
USGOVT-AGENCY2: 
US-AGENCY-AMT2: 0 
INTL-ORG1: 
INTL-ORG-AMOUNT1: 0 
INTL-ORG2: 
INTL-ORG-AMOUNT2: 0 
VIS-GOVT-AMT: 0 
COMMISSION: 0 
OTHER-AMOUNT: 0 
VIS-AMOUNT: 0 
VIS-CAT: 5 
END BIO: 
START BIO: 
PREFIX: Mr. 
F-NAME: Seevali 
M-NAME: Indrajith 
L-NAME: AMITIRIGALA 
SUFFIX: 
POSITION-CODE: 321 
PRINCIPAL?: No 
M-ADDR1: 18D Devala Road 
M-ADDR2: Pagoda 
M-ADDR3: 
M-CITY: Nugegoda 
M-STATE: 
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
M-ZONE: 
M-ZIP: 
M-PHONE: (94-11) 282-3154 
M-FAX: 
M-EMAIL: seevali@itmin.com 
M-CNTRY-ID: CE 
M-ADDRTYPE: H 
GENDER: M 
DOB: 02/17/1974 
MAR-STAT: S 
BIRTH-CITY: Colombo 
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
START MEMO POSITION: 
Lecturer, Sri Lanka Law College, 2002- to date 
END MEMO POSITION: 
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
Lecturer, Royal Institute, 2001- to date 
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
1995-2000 - Political Coordinator, United National 
Party 
1988-1994 - Political Coordinator, Sri Lanka Freedom 
Party 
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
None 
END MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
U.K. - 1999-2000 - Studies 
India - 1995 - Holiday 
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO EDUCATION: 
Attorney-at-Law, Sri Lanka Law College, 1996 
Masters in Law-B LL., King's College London, University 
of London, 2000 
END MEMO EDUCATION: 
START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
Member, Sri Lanka Bar Association 
END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
START MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
 
END MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
START MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
 
END MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
FIRST-LANG: Sinhala 
ENGL-READ: 4 
ENGL-SPEAK: 4 
ENGL-COMP: 4 
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
This nomination is in support of MPP goals on 
Democracy. 
END MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
 
END MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
START MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
 
END MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
START MEMO VIS-REC: 
 
END MEMO VIS-REC: 
NOMINATING-OFFICER: Chris J. Long 
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
Seevali Amitirigala is an attorney-at-law who has been 
involved with Sri Lankan politics for several years. 
Educated in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom, 
Amitirigala has experiences with the two major Sri 
Lankan political parties.  In his role as a lecturer at 
the Sri Lanka law school, he will have significant 
influence on future Sri Lankan attorneys and judges. 
Amitirigala has never visited the U.S.  Through his 
participation in this IV program USG could influence 
his outlook as well as strengthening Mission ties with 
this contact. 
 
Post confirms that this nomination has "full country 
team approval." 
 
END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
NOM-OFF: Political 
SPEAKER?: No 
NOTIFY-EMB: Yes 
MEDIA?: No 
HOME-STAY: Yes 
HOME-HOSP?: Yes 
E-I-TYPE: 
NOMINEE-ID: 148 
PERSON-ID: 154 
BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: CE 
CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: CE 
RES-CNTRY-ID: CE 
FIRST-LANG-ID: SI 
E-I-TYPE-ID: 
NOM-POST-ID: 2929 
NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 0 
NOM-STATUS: N 
DS2019-ACTION: 1 
DS2019-SUBJECT: 39.0702 
SPONS-FUNDS: 0 
SPONS-AGENCY1: DOS 
USGOVT-AGENCY1: DOS 
US-AGENCY-AMT1: 8000 
USGOVT-AGENCY2: 
US-AGENCY-AMT2: 0 
INTL-ORG1: 
INTL-ORG-AMOUNT1: 0 
INTL-ORG2: 
INTL-ORG-AMOUNT2: 0 
VIS-GOVT-AMT: 0 
COMMISSION: 0 
OTHER-AMOUNT: 0 
VIS-AMOUNT: 0 
VIS-CAT: 5 
END BIO: 
END NOMINATION: 
END FIXED-FORMAT TEXT: 
 
3. PLEASE ADVISE ACCEPTANCE OF THIS NOMINATION. 
LUNSTEAD