Former Sri Lankan Rebel Army Moving Into Peaceful Trade

Hundreds of former Tamil Tigers -- the defeated Sri Lankan rebel army -- are "moving into a peaceful trade, swapping a history of bombs and guns for bras and football shirts," according to James Crabtree of the FINANCIAL TIMES. In a sign of "long-awaited economic reconstruction" following the "brutal conclusion" of Sri Lanka’s 23-year civil war in '09, one of the biggest suppliers to Victoria’s Secret is "training the former Tigers to work in the first big garment factories to open in the battle-scarred north of the island." MAS Holdings is building two factories in Killinochi, the "one-time political capital" of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels. Training centers for the factories, which will make undergarments and sportswear, are "already operating in the town." Many locals hope that the lingerie and football shirts made by the factory will be the "first of a series of projects bringing opportunity to a region where charities and aid agencies are still among the largest employers" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 11/9).