US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO822

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000822 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/M SUSAN LOCKWOOD/DEBORAH THOMPSON; INFO 
ECA/PE/V/R/N LARRY A. MOODY; SA/PD 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, SCUL, KPAO, OEXC - Exchanges 
SUBJECT: FY 05 IV PROGRAM: SRI LANKAN NOMINEE FOR MRP 
"ACCOUNTABILITY IN GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS" 
JULY 28-AUGUST 18, 2005 
PROJECT NO. E/VM 2005-0035 
 
REF: COLOMBO 00765 
 
1.Post nominates Ms. Hana "Ibrahim" Associate Editor, 
"Sunday Observer" newspaper for participation in 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: tilakawardenac@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: 117 
ECA-PROJ-NO: E/VM-2005-0035 
PROJ-NAME: Accountability in Government and Business - July 
28-August 18, 2005 
START MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
 
END MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
PROJ-TYPE: Multi-Regional 
PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor 
FY: 2004 
DEPART-POST: 07/26/2005 
SESSION-DATE: 07/28/2005 
RETURN-POST: 08/20/2005 
NO-OF-PART: 1 
RANK-ORDER: 0 
START MEMO POST-OBJ: 
This nomination is in support of MPP goal on "Democratic 
Systems and Practices" 
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: Anti-Corruption 
START BIO: 
PREFIX: Ms. 
F-NAME: Bishrul 
M-NAME: Hana 
L-NAME: IBRAHIM 
SUFFIX: 
POSITION-CODE: 622 
PRINCIPAL?: Yes 
M-ADDR1: Observer Editorial 
M-ADDR2: Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd 
M-ADDR3: 35 D.R. Wijewardene Mawatha 
M-CITY: Colombo 10 
M-STATE: 
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
M-ZONE: 
M-ZIP: 
M-PHONE: (94-11) 242-9232 
M-FAX: (94-11) 242-9230 
M-EMAIL: hana.suo@lakehouse.lk 
M-CNTRY-ID: CE 
M-ADDRTYPE: B 
GENDER: F 
DOB: 01/17/1961 
MAR-STAT: S 
BIRTH-CITY: Galle 
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
START MEMO POSITION: 
Associate Editor, Sunday Observer, January 2003- to date 
END MEMO POSITION: 
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
 
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
2002-2003 - Editor-Features, Sunday Observer Magazine 
2001 - News Editor, Daily Observer 
1998-2000 - Editor - Junior News, Gulf News 
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
1985 - Participant at AED program 
END MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
Norway - May 2002 - on invitation of Norwegian Government - 
educational tour 
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO EDUCATION: 
Diploma in Journalism, University of Colombo, 1983 
END MEMO EDUCATION: 
START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
 
END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
START MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
 
END MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
START MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
 
END MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
FIRST-LANG: English 
ENGL-READ: 4 
ENGL-SPEAK: 4 
ENGL-COMP: 4 
START OTHER-LANGS: 
OTHER-LANG: Sinhala 
OTHER-LANG-ID: SI 
READ: 3 
SPEAK: 3 
COMP: 3 
END OTHER-LANGS: 
START OTHER-LANGS: 
OTHER-LANG: Tamil 
OTHER-LANG-ID: TC 
READ: 2 
SPEAK: 2 
COMP: 2 
END OTHER-LANGS: 
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
This nomination is in support of MPP goal on "Democratic 
Systems and Practices" 
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 Lohof 
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
Hana Ibrahaim, a senior journalist, has contributed to 
several Sri Lankan newspapers and a host of tabloids over 
the past twenty-five years.  Although she is the Associate 
Editor of a government-owned newspaper, she an apolitical 
journalist.   Her feature articles range from gender 
issues; social concerns such as poverty, migrant labor and 
AIDS; refugee situation in Sri Lanka and elsewhere; 
cultural and ethnic conflicts, specifically in Sudan, 
Somalia, Bosnia, and Sri Lanka; and investigative features 
on drug abuse, drug trafficking, child labor and garment 
factory workers. Her visit to the US to participate in AED 
program in 1985, did not give her exposure to the American 
media.  An opportunity to participate in the MRP on 
"Accountability in Government and Business," would give Ms. 
Ibrahim the experience and knowledge to portray a balanced 
picture of the American media and society. 
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: 156 
PERSON-ID: 163 
BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: CE 
CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: CE 
RES-CNTRY-ID: CE 
FIRST-LANG-ID: EN 
E-I-TYPE-ID: 
NOM-POST-ID: 2929 
NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
NOM-STATUS: N 
DS2019-ACTION: 1 
DS2019-SUBJECT: 38.0103 
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 advice acceptance of this nomination. 
Lunstead