A fragile Norway-brokered truce between the Tigers and the Sri Lankan forces has been in place for the past two years. Except in the east, where the Tigers have been attacking the Muslims to force them out of the region, there has thankfully been peace. Tourism, once a major foreign exchange earner, has made a comeback. The hotels in Colombo, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya (the hilly tea estate region) are full. If Chandrika and Wickramasinghe can put their egos aside and negotiate a settlement with the Tigers, the Sri Lankans could achieve the prosperity that has eluded them for almost half a century.