Despite the ongoing civil war in the north, a climate of peace is emerging, with Sri Lankans growing weary of the conflict and Norwegian mediators preparing to step in for talks between the government and the Tamil Tigers in the next few weeks. After 18 years of war some things have changed. Tamils have been moving into Colombo in growing numbers and now comprise about 25 percent of the population in the capital city. Except in Colombo’s high security zones, police checkpoints have diminished, and the capital hasn’t seen a bomb blast in eight months. Recently Sri Lanka hosted a cricket series with England, and 7,000 English fans spent almost a month here without incident. It is too early to tell if hopes for peace will be dashed as they have been in the past, but the recent trend is promising.
