COLOMBO, Nov 2: The Sri Lankan government has announced that it will help those deserting the Tamil Tigers rebels secure lucrative foreign employment. Cadres surrendering to the security forces will be provided with vocational training and assisted in finding jobs abroad suitable to their skills, Government Defence spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told journalists.

"A rehabilitation programme for those who surrender will be carried out after which they will be provided with jobs by the Skills Development Ministry. We will arrange employment for them in countries like Korea and Malaysia,” Rambukwella said as around 25 young Tamil men who said they had escaped from the LTTE were brought before the media on Tuesday.

The government stated that 27 Tamil Tiger rebels, some of them in their teens, have surrendered to the military in the last few days.

“We want to integrate them into normal life as many young people join the LTTE due to lack of opportunity,” the spokesman said.

Military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said most of the men who had surrendered were from the east of the country.