US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO854

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000854 
 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY(TAGS LINE) 
 
STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/M JANET BEARD/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 
"INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM", JUNE 16-JULY 7, 2005. 
PROJECT NO. E/VM-2005-0029 
 
REF: COLOMBO 00765 
 
1. Post nominates Prabaghan "Ratnasabapathy" News Editor, 
"Virekesari" 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: 124 
ECA-PROJ-NO: E/VM-2005-0029 
PROJ-NAME: Investigative Journalism - June 16-July 7, 2005 
START MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
 
END MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
PROJ-TYPE: Multi-Regional 
PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor 
FY: 2004 
DEPART-POST: 06/14/2005 
SESSION-DATE: 06/16/2005 
RETURN-POST: 07/09/2005 
NO-OF-PART: 1 
RANK-ORDER: 0 
START MEMO POST-OBJ: 
This nomination is in support of MPP goal "Supporting 
Democratic System and Priactices." 
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: Print Journalism 
START BIO: 
PREFIX: Mr. 
F-NAME: Prabaghan 
M-NAME: 
L-NAME: RATHNASABAPATHY 
SUFFIX: 
POSITION-CODE: 622 
PRINCIPAL?: Yes 
M-ADDR1: B34-3/1 Soyzapura Flats 
M-ADDR2: 
M-ADDR3: 
M-CITY: Moratuwa 
M-STATE: 
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
M-ZONE: 
M-ZIP: 
M-PHONE: (94-11) 232-0881 
M-FAX: (94-11) 244-8205 
M-EMAIL: kesari25@virakesari.lk 
M-CNTRY-ID: CE 
M-ADDRTYPE: H 
GENDER: M 
DOB: 09/28/1960 
MAR-STAT: M 
BIRTH-CITY: Badulla 
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
START MEMO POSITION: 
News Editor, Virakesari, 2002- to date 
END MEMO POSITION: 
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
 
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
1999-2001 - News Editor (Tamil), Maharaja 
Television/Maharaja Broadcasting 
1986-99 - Senior Sub-Editor, Virakesari 
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
None 
END MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
Germany - 2003 - To cover for Virakesari - Peace Talks held 
between LTTE and the GOSL 
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO EDUCATION: 
General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level) 
Examination , 1978 
Certificate Course in Journalism, Open University of Sri 
Lanka, 1999 
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: Tamil 
ENGL-READ: 3 
ENGL-SPEAK: 3 
ENGL-COMP: 3 
START OTHER-LANGS: 
OTHER-LANG: Sinhala 
OTHER-LANG-ID: SI 
READ: 3 
SPEAK: 3 
COMP: 3 
END OTHER-LANGS: 
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
This nomination is in support of MPP goal "Supporting 
Democratic System 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 A. Lohof 
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
A member of the senior management team of Virakesari, 
independet Tamil daily and weekly newspapers, Rathnasabathy 
is a key contact of Public Affairs office.  Exposure to the 
values and ethics in investigative journalism will enhance 
his skills and will be mutual beneficial. 
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: 164 
PERSON-ID: 171 
BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: CE 
CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: CE 
RES-CNTRY-ID: CE 
FIRST-LANG-ID: TC 
E-I-TYPE-ID: 
NOM-POST-ID: 2929 
NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
NOM-STATUS: N 
DS2019-ACTION: 1 
DS2019-SUBJECT: 09.0401 
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