Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04COLOMBO52
2004-01-12 10:09:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

FY-2004 MRP "MULTI-CULTURALISM IN A DEMOCRATIC

Tags:  OEXC SCUL KPAO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

121009Z Jan 04
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 000052 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/P-SUSAN LOCKWOOD/SEQUITA ROBINSON
INFO: ECA/PE/V/G/N-ALICE SHIFFLETT; SA/PD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OEXC SCUL KPAO OEXC
SUBJECT: FY-2004 MRP "MULTI-CULTURALISM IN A DEMOCRATIC
SOCIETY" JUNE 24-JULY 15, 2004: SRI LANKAN
NOMINATIONS
PROJECT NUMBER: E/VP-2004-0030

REF: (A) STATE 103441, (B) COLOMBO 0676

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 000052

SIPDIS

STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/P-SUSAN LOCKWOOD/SEQUITA ROBINSON
INFO: ECA/PE/V/G/N-ALICE SHIFFLETT; SA/PD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OEXC SCUL KPAO OEXC
SUBJECT: FY-2004 MRP "MULTI-CULTURALISM IN A DEMOCRATIC
SOCIETY" JUNE 24-JULY 15, 2004: SRI LANKAN
NOMINATIONS
PROJECT NUMBER: E/VP-2004-0030

REF: (A) STATE 103441, (B) COLOMBO 0676


1. POST NOMINATES MR. RUWAN P. CHANDRASEKERA, ACTING
REGIONAL COORDINATOR, HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION-JAFFNA AS
THE PRINCIPAL CANDIDATE AND VEN. WALMORUWE PIYARATHANA
THERO, LECTURER AT THE DEPT. OF PALI AND BUDDHIST
STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF PERADENIYA 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/VP
PROG-AGENCY-NAME:
POST-PROJ-ID: 97
ECA-PROJ-NO: E/VP-2004-0030
PROJ-NAME: Multi-Culturalism in a Democratic Soociety - June 24-
July 15, 2004
START MEMO PROJ-DESC:
END MEMO PROJ-DESC:
PROJ-TYPE: Multi-Regional
PROG-TYPE: IV Group Projects
FY: 2004
DEPART-POST: 06/22/2004
SESSION-DATE: 06/24/2004
RETURN-POST: 07/18/2004
NO-OF-PART: 2
RANK-ORDER: 13
START MEMO POST-OBJ:
This nomination is in support of MPP goal on "Democracy."
END MEMO POST-OBJ:
START MEMO POST-RCMD:

END MEMO POST-RCMD:
ECA-OFFICE-ID: 1027
PROG-AGENCY-ID:
PROJ-TYPE-ID: MRP
PROG-TYPE-ID: 31
NOMINATING-POST-ID: 2929
FUNDING-CNTRY-ID:
STATUS: N
ORIGINATOR: P
SUBJ-DISC: Freedom & Democracy
START BIO:
PREFIX: Mr.
F-NAME: Ruwan
M-NAME: P.
L-NAME: CHANDRASEKERA
SUFFIX:
POSITION-CODE: 330
PRINCIPAL?: Yes
M-ADDR1: Human Rights Commission
M-ADDR2: 20 Somasundaram Avenue
M-ADDR3:
M-CITY: Jaffna
M-STATE:
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
M-ZONE:
M-ZIP:
M-PHONE: (94-21) 222-2021
M-FAX:
M-EMAIL:
M-CNTRY-ID: CE
M-ADDRTYPE: B
GENDER: M
DOB: 11/04/1974
MAR-STAT: S
BIRTH-CITY:
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
START MEMO POSITION:

Acting Regional Coordinator, Human Rights Commission, Jaffna,
1999- to date
END MEMO POSITION:
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS:

END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS:
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS:
1998 - Investigation Officer, Human Rights Commission, Vavuniya
and Jaffna
1997 - Investigation Officer, Human Rights Task Force
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS:
START MEMO US-TRAVEL:
None
END MEMO US-TRAVEL:
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL:

END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL:
START MEMO EDUCATION:
General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level) Examination,
1993
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: 3
ENGL-SPEAK: 3
ENGL-COMP: 3
START OTHER-LANGS:
OTHER-LANG: Tamil
OTHER-LANG-ID: TC
READ: 3
SPEAK: 3
COMP: 3
END OTHER-LANGS:
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ:
This nomination is in support of MPP goal 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: Joe Novak
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION:
Mr. Chandrasekera has already proved himself adept at working
within a multicultural system. He is a Sinhalese working in
Jaffna. While there he has gained the respect of the Tamil,
Sinhalese and Muslim communities. He also took an office that
many had derided as irrelevant, and obsolete, and reformed it to
such an extent that it is now performing its mandated functions.
Mission currently works with Chandrasekera only on an intermittent
basis. His value to the Mission on reporting on human rights
investigations conducted by the Human Rights Commission will only
grow with time.
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: No
HOME-HOSP?: Yes
E-I-TYPE:
NOMINEE-ID: 131
PERSON-ID: 134
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: 30.2301
SPONS-FUNDS: 0
SPONS-AGENCY1:
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: Ven.
F-NAME: Walmoruwe
M-NAME:
L-NAME: PIYARATANA
SUFFIX: Thero
POSITION-CODE: 219
PRINCIPAL?: No
M-ADDR1: Maha Vihara Maha Pirivena
M-ADDR2: Asgiri Maha Viharaya
M-ADDR3:
M-CITY: Kandy
M-STATE:
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
M-ZONE:
M-ZIP:
M-PHONE: (94-8) 222-568
M-FAX:
M-EMAIL:
M-CNTRY-ID: CE
M-ADDRTYPE: H
GENDER: M
DOB: 08/14/1974
MAR-STAT: S
BIRTH-CITY: Matale
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
START MEMO POSITION:
Buddhist Monk/Lecturer, Dept. of Pali and Buddhist Studies,
University of Peradeniya, 2002- to date
END MEMO POSITION:
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS:

END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS:
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS:
1997-2001 - Teacher, Asgiriya Pirivena
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS:
START MEMO US-TRAVEL:
None
END MEMO US-TRAVEL:
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL:

END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL:
START MEMO EDUCATION:
Master of Arts, Buddhist and Pali University, 1998
Special Arts Degree (Pali) -First Class - University of
Peradeniya, 2001
Certificate in Basic English, Open University of Sri Lanka, 1999
Certificate of English, The British English School (Kandy),2002
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: 3
ENGL-SPEAK: 3
ENGL-COMP: 3
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ:
This nomination is in support of MPP goal 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: Joe Novak
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION:
Ven Piyarathana Thero is not only a member of the Buddhist Clergy,
but he is also a lecturer at the University of Peradeniya. With
his focus on Pali and Buddhist studies, Piyarathana has very
little interaction with the others who are almost thirty five
percent of the university that is not Sinhala Buddhists. Part of
the difficulty with the current peace process is that people from
different ethnic groups have little interaction and thus little
trust for one another. It is in Mission's interest to work
towards the stability in Sri Lanka and one way to do so is to get
key leaders from sectors like the clergy and university lecturers
to understand the parts of a multicultural and religiously diverse
society.
Ven. Piyarathana Thero is also an important Mission contact
because of his inflience in the Asgiriya Chapter of the Buddhist
religious order.
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: No
HOME-HOSP?: Yes
E-I-TYPE:
NOMINEE-ID: 137
PERSON-ID: 140
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: 30.2301
SPONS-FUNDS: 0
SPONS-AGENCY1:
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