Sri Lanka emerging from the darkness of war

These teams include former Tamil Tigers some of whom intend to use their salaries to establish small businesses, displaying the spirit of enterprise for which Tamils are renowned.

One school we visited in the town of Kilinochchi had 36 students studying in a makeshift classroom at the end of the war, but today has over 2000 students enrolled.

Impressive new school buildings have been constructed by international aid agencies including AusAID.

The government has also managed to resettle more than 97 per cent of internally displaced people with the vast majority returning to their land.

This has resulted in a large increase in agricultural production, particularly throughout the northern and eastern provinces, supported by a significant expansion of irrigation infrastructure.

Economic growth has been strong since the end of the war and tourists have increased from half a million in 2009 to more than one million per year.

Rates of malnutrition have been reduced dramatically in the north – from 20% to 4% - partly due to a program of free meals and milk for school students.

I found it hard to not be impressed by the scale of the investment in the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.

However that is not to claim that challenges do not remain.

Economic reconciliation is forging ahead at a rapid pace, while social reconciliation is under way, yet significant hurdles remain in the way of a full political reconciliation.

Many people have grown up under the reign of the LTTE, which remains a proscribed terrorist organisation in parts of the world, and it will take some time for them to adjust to life under a new government.

The former LTTE combatants must also adjust to life as civilians and it is inevitable that many will find it difficult to come to terms with their new lives.