US embassy cable - 02COLOMBO2169

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 002169 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/P-MARGERY BENSON/AZZA MOUNIB-ZAKI, 
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 "PRINT JOURNALISM": JUNE 5-26, 2003 
PROJECT NUMBER: E/VP-2003-0029 
 
REF: (A) COLOMBO 01899, (B) STATE 127876, (C) STATE 
 
50054 
 
1. POST NOMINATES MR. S. DINESH KUMAR, JOURNALIST, 
VIRAKESARI NEWSPAPER, 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: 64 
USIA-PROJ-NO: E/VP-2003-0029 
PROJ-NAME: Print Journalism - June 5-26, 2003 
START MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
 
END MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
PROJ-TYPE: Multi-Regional 
PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor 
FY: 2003 
DEPART-POST: 06/03/2003 
SESSION-DATE: 06/05/2003 
RETURN-POST: 06/29/2003 
NO-OF-PART: 1 
RANK-ORDER: 7 
START MEMO POST-OBJ: 
This nomination is in support of MPP strategic goals on 
"Democracy" and "Mutual Understanding" 
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: U 
SUBJ-DISC: Print Journalism 
START BIO: 
PREFIX: Mr. 
F-NAME: Samykkannu 
M-NAME: Dinesh 
L-NAME: KUMAR 
SUFFIX: 
PRINCIPAL?: Yes 
M-ADDR1: Express Newspapers Ltd. 
M-ADDR2: 185 Grandpass Road 
M-ADDR3: 
M-CITY: Colombo 14 
M-STATE: 
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
M-ZONE: 
M-ZIP: 
M-PHONE: (94-1) 320-927 
M-FAX: 
M-EMAIL: 
M-CNTRY-ID: CE 
M-ADDRTYPE: B 
GENDER: M 
DOB: 01/12/1977 
MAR-STAT: S 
BIRTH-CITY: Haputale 
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
START MEMO POSITION: 
Journalist, Virakesari Newspaper, 1998- to date 
END MEMO POSITION: 
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
 
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
 
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
 
END MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
 
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
 
START MEMO EDUCATION: 
General Certificate of Education (Ordinary) and 
(Advanced) Level examinations 
Course on Broadcasting, Mass Media Institute, Sri Lanka 
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: 4 
ENGL-SPEAK: 4 
ENGL-COMP: 4 
START OTHER-LANGS: 
OTHER-LANG: Sinhala 
OTHER-LANG-ID: SI 
READ: 4 
SPEAK: 4 
COMP: 4 
END OTHER-LANGS: 
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
This nomination is in support of MPP strategic goals on 
"Democracy" and "Mutual Understanding" 
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: Joe Novak 
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
Mr. Kumar is a journalist by trade covering politics 
and human rights, and is also active in human rights 
organizations.  To expose him to United States' efforts 
to promote democracy, human rights and the role of the 
media can only enhance our standing with this important 
contact.  A program on journalism will grant him 
positive exposure to the U.S. and to the American media 
community.  The United States will gain the most 
advantage by exposing Mr. Kumar to the variety of ways 
reinforcing our contact with this up-and-coming 
professional. 
END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
NOM-OFF: Political 
 
 
SPEAKER?: No 
NOTIFY-EMB: Yes 
MEDIA?: No 
HOME-STAY: No 
HOME-HOSP?: Yes 
E-I-TYPE: 
NOMINEE-ID: 95 
PERSON-ID: 99 
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 
END BIO: 
END NOMINATION: 
 
3. PLEASE ADVISE ACCEPTANCE OF THESE NOMINATIONS. 
WILLS