Oslo, Dec 03: Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebel negotiators were taking a crucial first look today at ways to govern their ethnically divided country after 19 years of bitter civil war.

The Tamil separatists have fought since 1983 for an independent nation, citing discrimination by majority Sinhalese, but have said since a landmark cease-fire in February that they would consider proposals for greater autonomy within Sri Lanka. Delegates to peace talks in Oslo were to listen today to a presentation from a group of constitutional experts from Canada, which has used a federal-style government to unify its English-majority west with its French-majority east. "They will deal with different... Models and explore ways they can advise both sides on the issue," government negotiator Milinda Moragoda told the Associated Press.

The Canadian forum, a non-government organisation, met with high-ranking government officials in Sri Lanka earlier this year, Moragoda said. The rebels have shown a keen interest in hearing the group as well, he said. Since Norway brokered the February cease-fire, the rebels and government have dealt mostly with peripheral issues. But after unexpected progress in two earlier rounds of peace talks in Thailand, both sides decided to seek international expertise on handling the ethnic question at a political level.
The 19-year war in Sri Lanka has left nearly 65,000 people dead, displaced another 1.6 million, and left much of the country in ruins, especially the northern areas where the island's 3.2 million Tamils mostly live. The country's Sinhalese number about 14 million.

Bureau Report