On May 18th 2009, upon the sands of a tropical paradise, one of the world’s longest running civil wars drew to a bloody end. Myuran Elango and Silvina Molkenthin explore the experience and fears of a Sri Lankan refugee.

The Sri Lankan government’s demolition of the once formidable Tamil Tigers was hailed as a new beginning for a country torn by ethnic divide.

2 years on however, serious questions are finally being asked as to how far the Government went to secure its victory, after the United Nations accused the military of committing war crimes against thousands of civilians.

With no independent observers during the last stages of battle, it is the harrowing stories of Tamils, who escaped the war and fled to countries like Australia, that has helped paint a picture of the death and destruction throughout the final weeks, days and hours.

Now, as those survivors attempt to rebuild their lives and heal from the scars of war, Australia’s tough stance on asylum seekers has many of them fearing the possibility of being sent back into a hell they risked everything to escape.