A cease-fire put in place in February has been holding and peace talks are scheduled for May in Thailand, paving the way for the resumption of domestic flights and the reopening of a key road allowing access to the Jaffna Peninsula in the north, a key rebel stronghold. Both moves suggest that real progress is being made toward a settlement of the tw0-decade-old conflict. Domestic flights have been banned since 1996 and the road to Jaffna has been closed for 12 years.
