Washington's Levick is the most recent addition to the PR/lobbying firm team trying to bolster the reputation of human rights-challenged Sri Lanka.

The firm has a $60K monthly agreement to represent the Central Bank of Sri Lanka under a subcontract with Liberty International Group, which is owned by Florida politico Connie Mack.

Liberty has a one-year contract worth $760K to market the message that Sri Lanka "suffered a long and brutal war" against the Tamil Tigers rebel group and receives "unbalanced" media coverage that is "unfair, unwarranted and overshadows the impressive post-war socio-economic achievements of Sri Lanka."

The Bank calls itself a "semiautonomous financial institution" of the government.

Levick's duties include outreach to American media, opinion leaders and possibility government officials on issues important to the Bank. It is working on a month-by-month basis.

Andrew Ricci and Patrick Hillman handle the effort.

Levick joins Burson-Marsteller, which has a $9ooK annual contract, and Madison Group ($25K monthly retainer) in burnishing the image of Sri Lanka.