US embassy cable - 02COLOMBO2091

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 002091 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/P-ISABELLE ZSOLDOS/DEBORAH THOMPSON, 
ECA/PE/V/G/N-ALICE SHIFFLETT; SA/PD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, SCUL, KPAO, OEXC - Exchanges 
SUBJECT: FY-2003 IV PROGRAM: SRI LANKAN NOMINATION FOR 
MRP ON "SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION": JANUARY 9-30, 2003 
PROJECT NUMBER: E/VP-2003-0008 
 
REF: (A) COLOMBO 01899 (B) STATE 126530 (C) STATE 50054 
 
1. POST NOMINATES MS. ASHA DHANASIRI, SENIOR LEGAL 
OFFICER, ENVIRONMENTAL FOUNDATION LTD.,FOR 
PARTICIPATION IN SUBJECT PROJECT. 
 
2. NOMINATION IS AS FOLLOWS: 
EXPORT-SOURCE: USIS EVDB 
VERSION: 3.0.0 
POST-EMAIL: rscmb@pd.state.gov 
TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS  Colombo 
TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 2929 
EXPORT-TYPE: BIO DATA 
START NOMINATION: 
USIA-OFFICE: E/VGN 
PROG-AGENCY-NAME: 
POST-PROJ-ID: 63 
USIA-PROJ-NO: E/VP-2003-0008 
PROJ-NAME: Sustainable Economic and Environmental 
Development - January 9-30, 2003 
START MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
 
END MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
PROJ-TYPE: Multi-Regional 
PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor 
FY: 2003 
DEPART-POST: 01/07/2003 
SESSION-DATE: 01/09/2003 
RETURN-POST: 02/02/2003 
NO-OF-PART: 1 
RANK-ORDER: 5 
START MEMO POST-OBJ: 
This project is in support of MPP strategic goal on 
"Economic Development" 
END MEMO POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO POST-RCMD: 
 
END MEMO POST-RCMD: 
USIA-OFFICE-ID: 1039 
PROG-AGENCY-ID: 
PROJ-TYPE-ID: MRP 
PROG-TYPE-ID: 29 
NOMINATING-POST-ID: 2929 
FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
STATUS: N 
ORIGINATOR: P 
SUBJ-DISC: Economics (General) 
START BIO: 
PREFIX: Ms. 
F-NAME: Asha 
M-NAME: 
L-NAME: DHANASIRI 
SUFFIX: 
PRINCIPAL?: Yes 
M-ADDR1: Environmental Foundation Ltd. 
M-ADDR2: 3 Campbell  Terrace 
M-ADDR3: 
M-CITY: Colombo 10 
M-STATE: 
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
M-ZONE: 
M-ZIP: 
M-PHONE: (94-74) 616-474 
M-FAX: (94-1) 697-226 
M-EMAIL: 
M-CNTRY-ID: CE 
M-ADDRTYPE: B 
GENDER: F 
DOB: 05/09/1973 
MAR-STAT: S 
BIRTH-CITY: Colombo 
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
START MEMO POSITION: 
Senior Legal Officer, Environmental Foundation Ltd. 
END MEMO POSITION: 
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
 
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
1998 - Law Officer, Environmental Foundation, Ltd. 
1993-98 - Clerk, National Intellectual Property Office 
in Sri Lanka 
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
 
END MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
 
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO EDUCATION: 
Attorney-at-Law, Sri Lanka Law College, 1998 
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: Sinhala 
ENGL-READ: 4 
ENGL-SPEAK: 4 
ENGL-COMP: 4 
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
This nomination is in support of MPP strategic goal on 
"Economic Development" 
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: Teresa Manlowe 
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
Asha Dhanasiri is the Senior Legal Officer and head of 
the legal division of the Environmental Foundation Ltd. 
(EFL), a leading environmental NGO in Sri Lanka.  Asha, 
as head of the legal division, is the second most 
senior officer at EFL and plays a key role in 
administration and management of the foundation.  The 
section heads are involved in day to day 
administration, fund raising, policy formulation, 
litigation decisions and campaign issues.  Asha is 
responsible for environmental litigation and public 
interest cases of the foundation. 
EFL was founded in 1981.  It is currently supported by 
the Ford Foundation and Helvos.  EFL is a member of the 
"Friends of the Earth International," a leading 
international NGO similar to Green Peace.  EFL has 26 
full time employees, including six lawyers, four 
environmental scientists, and several science and 
management graduates.  It takes a visible and an active 
role in all major environment related issues in Sri 
Lanka such as bio-technology, environmental pollution 
and protection, forestry, elephant conservation etc. 
Most recently, EFL has been advocating against GM foods 
and the U.S. tropical Forest Conservation Act as well 
as the ADB funded wildlife and nature protection 
project.  EFL protests were in direct conflict with 
U.S. commercial and diplomatic interests.  For example, 
a GM food ban will have an adverse effect on US food 
exports to Sri Lanka and set a bad precedence on trade 
policy. Similarly, a US company has recently won a 
contract under the ADB funded wildlife project and 
smooth implementation of the project is vital for the 
US Company.  EFL is likely to continue to play a key 
role in environment policy formulation and litigation 
in Sri Lanka. 
Asha is fluent in English and has a strong legal 
background.  We expect her to play a key role in the 
EFL management in the future.  Asha has never traveled 
to the U.S. 
 
 
END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
NOM-OFF: Econ/Comm 
SPEAKER?: No 
NOTIFY-EMB: Yes 
MEDIA?: No 
HOME-STAY: Yes 
HOME-HOSP?: Yes 
E-I-TYPE: 
NOMINEE-ID: 93 
PERSON-ID: 97 
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 
END BIO: 
END NOMINATION: 
 
3. PLEASE ADVISE ACCEPTANCE OF THESE NOMINATIONS. 
WILLS